It may be the nicest lead up to a rivalry game, but don’t be fooled, the Sydney derby is bound to explode
From free-flowing compliments to a social media blackout, this week’s Sydney Derby could be one of the ‘nicest’ build-ups to a rivalry game this year. But with so much on the line for both, the game is bound to explode.
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The Sydney Derby has become one of the most hotly contested matches on the field in the AFL, with spotfires and melees becoming an all too regular occurrence when the Giants and Swans meet.
But in a sign of just how much is on the line for both teams this week, all the usual pre-match jousting has been put aside with neither side wanting to give the other any form of motivation ahead of Friday’s encounter.
“You’ve probably got the wrong bloke up here if you want a jab,” GWS defender Jack Buckley said on Tuesday. “Some boys like to get up here and say a few things, but you won’t get that today.”
“I’m probably not one to throw any punches (either),” Sydney’s Braeden Campbell added. “Just a few straight bats here.”
As the pair sat alongside each other inside Engie Stadium for the customary joint press conference, it was all smiles with some journalists going as far as suggesting it should be labelled the “Friendly Derby of the AFL”.
It’s a far cry from some of the stoushes we have seen between the teams in recent history.
Since the start of last season, the Sydney Derby has seen multiple players suspended for three matches for mistimed bumps, regular all-in tussles and of course, the incident between Tom Papley and Giants football manager Jason McCartney during last year’s qualifying final.
That’s not discounting the verbal barbs either, with GWS’ Sam Taylor labelling the cross-town rivals as “smug” last year, while his teammate Toby Bedford claimed he “hated” the Swans earlier this season.
But given the stakes, both teams have preferred to focus on their own house. Even the Giants’ lauded social media presence is expected to be dialled back from the usual free rein it’s given in Derby week.
For the Swans, in particular, if they want to get back to the finals stage again, they’re going to have to be perfect for the rest of the season. And while they’ve already been walking that tightrope for over a month, it’s not a challenge that gets any easier, according to Campbell.
“It probably gets harder,” he said. “But you do understand what you have to do to get a win in each game.
“You obviously feel nervous before every game, if not more the closer you get to finals. I wouldn’t say it gets easier, but you definitely get used to the feeling, and that does help.
“We’ve worked really hard the past few weeks, and we’re just taking it week by week. This game, yeah, it’s big, it’s a rivalry. It’s always a must-win game, every game for the rest of the season is a must-win for us. Everyone understands that.”
Usually, form goes out the window when the Sydney Derby comes around. The Giants found that out the hard way earlier this year when the Swans still got the win – their fifth straight victory over GWS – at the SCG despite being in the middle of their form slump.
However, even with all the motivation of both breaking the streak and potentially ending the Swans’ quest for an unlikely finals berth, the Giants know they have to take care of their own backyard.
“They’ve had the wood over us for the past couple of years, so we’ve been disappointed with that,” Buckley said. “We’ll go to work on addressing those reasons. Unfortunately, the last couple of times we didn’t learn our lessons from the previous game.
“They’ve got to worry about where they finish, and we’ve got to worry about ourselves too. We’re playing to make finals, we know what’s ahead of us, too. The rivalry is great … but it’s another game of our season where every game is going to matter.”
Both teams look set to be boosted by some big inclusions for the match. Sam Taylor is tracking well to return from a broken toe, with Buckley looking forward to welcoming back the “best key defender in the comp”. Jesse Hogan and Josh Kelly are also tests to make their comebacks in the game after being rested last week.
Meanwhile, Tom Papley could also be returning for the Swans. And if there was ever a player who would ensure the game shakes the tag of the “Friendly Derby”, it’s Sydney’s livewire small forward.
“He’s a massive energy bundle when you get him, he just lifts the whole team,” Campbell said. “Everyone tries to bring their own energy this week … (Papley) just lifts everyone up and gets everyone up and about for it.
“Obviously, we’d like him back. And from what I’ve seen at training, he’s been really good. We’ll find out (Wednesday).”
‘Whack’: Giants hit out at Sydney derby’s prime-time snub
The Giants believe it’s a bit of a “whack” that the Sydney Derby hasn’t been trusted to stand alone as a prime-time fixture.
This week’s clash between GWS and the Swans is the first time the Sydney Derby will ever be played on a Friday night. However, it is part of an AFL double header with the Bombers-Bulldogs match starting 30 minutes earlier at Marvel Stadium.
Although the Swans have dominated the match-up in recent years, including five-straight victories, it has become one of the most hotly contested and must-watch fixtures in the AFL.
And while the move to Friday night reflects how big the Sydney Derby has become, Giants captain Toby Greene admits it’s disappointing that the match can’t stand on its own.
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a whack,” Greene said. “That’s alright, it is what it is. It’s up to the AFL, but I think it’s certainly not manufactured and it is a great rivalry and it’s a really important game as well.
“I’m not sure, what’s the other game? Dogs would win that probably. Yeah, (the Sydney Derby) will be a great game, and both teams have got to win.
“We’ve done a lot of work to get to where we are from when I started 14 years ago. But we’re on the right track and footy’s really grown in Sydney since I’ve been here, and it helps when both teams are going well.”
GWS ensured their Derby week preparations got off to the perfect start by announcing a new membership record of 36,725 in 2025, the fourth-straight year they have set a new record. That includes reserved seat memberships being up by more than 10 per cent this season.
Giants CEO David Matthews said that the increase in weekday games for the Giants is a sign of their growing popularity, and despite the double-header, he’s excited to see how Sydney crowds respond to more prime time footy.
“We’re really glad to get a couple of Thursday nights and a Friday night,” Matthews said.
“Increasingly, what footy fans want is to watch the best in terms of entertainment, not the biggest clubs necessarily. We’re going to get big over time, but right now we’re one of the most entertaining clubs in the competition. So, to get on the big stage is great.
“The fact there’s a game on in Melbourne, to be honest, I think most people in Sydney couldn’t care less what’s going on in Melbourne at the best of times. So I think the focus for this town is going to be on this Derby for sure.”
GIANTS ’HUNGRY’ TO END SWANS’ SEASON
Giants captain Toby Greene believes ending the Swans’ season this week would be a bonus as his team closes in on a top-four finish and a double chance in finals.
GWS is the form team in the AFL, winning each of their past five games, including important victories against Brisbane, Gold Coast and Geelong. However, with only percentage separating the teams from fourth to seventh, Greene knows every win in the next five weeks will be vital.
But they come up against a resurgent Sydney team that has won five of their past six matches, and a flawless run through to the end of the season could see them secure an unlikely finals berth.
However, one defeat could be enough to put a line through the Swans in 2025. And while it would be fitting for the little brother to be the team to put the nail in the coffin, there may be less bite than usual from the Giants since they haven’t beaten their cross-town rivals in their past five meetings.
“They’ve been good the last month, and they’re always going to get their game going, so we know what we’re up against and we’ve got to be at our best,” Greene said.
“They’ve beat us the last few times so we’re pretty hungry to turn that around.
“I relish the idea of us trying to make top four. So, I just worry about that, and if we beat them, their season’s probably done and we’re a chance for top four. So it’s a huge game and we know the importance of the next two or three games as well.”
Greene is preparing for a heated clash between the two NSW sides, and knows his business partner and Swans superstar Isaac Heeney will be one of the main drawcards.
The pair might run the 5th Quarter Camps around the state to help promote footy, but even with Heeney’s SuperCoach scores helping Greene over the past few weeks, there will be no love lost on the field.
“I didn’t want to (message him) and pump him up because I knew we were playing him this week,” Greene said. “It was a pretty dominant game on the weekend from him, so we’re probably not going to let him run around and do whatever he wants, that’s for sure.
“He’s flying in my SuperCoach, it’s been great. I got him in halfway through the year, just picked him at the right time. He’ll probably have to (be on the bench this week), actually.
“It’s a great rivalry, it’s good fun, always heated contests and both teams have been pretty good teams for the past 10 years and competing in finals pretty much every year. They’ve got a bit of feeling in them, and the intensity is always really high, and I don’t think Friday is going to be any different.”
After the Giants’ professional win over the Bombers last Thursday night, they’re set to be boosted with the return of a trio of superstars for the clash against the Swans.
Greene suggested that Josh Kelly (hip), Jesse Hogan (foot) and Sam Taylor (toe) are all tracking to play on Friday night, making the Swans’ hopes of keeping their season alive even more difficult.
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