Swans co-captain Dane Rampe concedes season is on the line in Sydney derby against GWS Giants

Sydney has made the frank admission its season will go ‘on the line’ in the derby against GWS after battling to a 1-4 start to 2019.

Sydney co-captain Dane Rampe has made the frank admission the Swans season goes “on the line” in Saturday’s derby against GWS.

The battling powerhouse are 1-4 to start 2019 and although they famously made the finals from an 0-6 start two years ago, Rampe has declared the situation is already looming as do-or-die against the Giants at the SCG.

Rampe has implored senior players to step up and take responsibility for the side’s flaky form, adamant the Swans woes cannot be put down to the club having the youngest roster in the competition.

For two decades the SCG has been a fortress for the Bloods, but Rampe concedes that bastion of strength on home turf has fallen over the past 18 months.

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Saturday night shapes as a line-in-the-sand moment for the Sydney club as born-leader Rampe challenged his chargers to lift.

“This weekend is more about us as a team and our season on the line,” said Rampe.

“As opposed to any home record or whatever, we’ve got to win. Regardless of where it is. (We need) to get some momentum going.

“(Our home form) has been really average the last 18 months.

“In the past teams have come up to Sydney knowing they’re up for a really fierce battle. I don’t think they can say that anymore.

“We need to start winning. There are no secrets. We’re 1-4 and while we have been in similar positions before, you don’t want to leave too much room for error.

“It’s getting to that (critical) stage now. But in saying that I haven’t lost confidence in the ability of the boys.”

Rampe will have a key job on Giants goalkicking star Jeremy Cameron who already has 21 from five games this season.

GWS midfielder Stephen Coniglio and Sydney defender Dane Rampe ahead of this weekend’s crucial Sydney derby. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images.

The showdown between forwards Cameron and Lance Franklin at opposite ends of the ground has been a feature of all Sydney derbies and Saturday night will be no different.

The Swans have been written off by critics who believe their current premiership window is over, but Rampe says the belief in the dressing room has not been extinguished.

“Call that blind faith … but we’re confident our best is good enough. We’re just waiting for it to click.

“We’re very optimistic. We’ve seen in the past we can wrestle our way back and I think if there are any lessons from the years before, it’s that with our backs to the wall is when we can play some of our best footy.

“We take inspiration from that and look at it as an opportunity.”

Dane Rampe is set for the key job on Jeremy Cameron in the first Sydney derby of 2019. Picture: Brett Hemmings/AFL Media/Getty Images.

Rampe says the biggest misnomer of the season so far was that the young players were folding under pressure.

The gun defender said senior players had failed to live up to expectations and is adamant the onus is on team leaders to show the way.

“You’ve got to be careful saying it’s just the younger boys showing a lack of composure,” he said.

“It’s been some of our senior players as well.

“It’s one of those things that can become infectious.

“It’s on the team to do something about it as a collective.

“All senior players and leaders of any team have to shoulder that responsibility. And we’re no exception.

“We speak to the boys constantly during the week, not just on the back of a few losses, but now more than ever we have to stay galvanised and stay united.”