The wait is almost over for the Sydney Swans.
On Friday night, they will square off against Hawthorn at the SCG in the AFL’s opening round, marking 160 days since their disastrous grand final loss to Brisbane.
Players, coaches and staff are sick of talking about the 60-point drubbing, but the memory of the game lingers like an unwanted guest. The Swans are desperate for a fresh start, and it is finally here under new coach Dean Cox.
So, what can we expect from a new-look Swans in 2025?
Less reliance on the holy trinity of midfielders
Chad Warner, Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney are three men the Swans could rely on when they needed a spark last season. Each player brought unique strengths: Warner’s ability to take on the defence, Gulden’s disposals and Heeney’s heroics when games were on the line.
Throughout last season, the Swans had other strong contributors, namely All-Australian defender Nick Blakey, hard-tackling midfielder James Rowbottom and small forward Tom Papley. But the team’s star trio provided the headlines through their ability to dig the team out of trouble.
The Swans must now manage without Gulden, who has undergone surgery for a fractured ankle sustained in a final pre-season game against the Gold Coast. Gulden will likely be out of action for three months and someone will need to step into his place.
Swans star Errol Gulden covers his face after the final siren in last year’s grand final.Credit: Getty Images
Braeden Campbell has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Sydney until at least the end of 2028.
It is often forgotten that Campbell was drafted fifth in the 2020 draft ahead of his childhood friend Gulden, who was eventually selected by the Swans with their 32nd pick.
The draft is not a barometer of future ability in the AFL – given Warner was taken with pick 39 in 2019 – but it does give an idea of Campbell’s potential, which remains largely untapped.
Campbell’s performance last year in the qualifying final victory against the Giants after entering as a third-quarter substitute gave a glimpse of what he can do.
His nine disposals, with 244 metres gained, and a vital goal helped win the game. Campbell’s versatility means he can play on the halfback flank, wing or at half-forward. This could easily be his season to shine in the absence of Gulden.
The Swans come to terms with another demoralising grand final loss, this time to Brisbane.Credit: Getty Images
New-look Swans under Dean Cox
John Longmire coached the Swans for 14 seasons and led the team to five grand finals, winning one in 2012. In November, Longmire decided it was time to step down as head coach and move into a new role as executive director of performance.
Longmire benefited from the club’s careful succession plan when Paul Roos stepped down in 2010 and, similarly, Cox has stepped up to the top job after working as an assistant at Moore Park since 2017.
Cox’s genial personality is combined with a ruthless competitive streak. As a player for West Coast, he redefined the role of the ruckman as a mobile player capable of being an offensive weapon, ending his career with a premiership and six selections in the All-Australian team.
New Swans coach Dean Cox (left) with his predecessor John Longmire.Credit: Getty Images
Cox has always been a keen student of the game, burying himself in analysis to try to get an edge on the opposition. He is similar as a coach, and led the painful review of the 2024 grand final, when Brisbane’s 267 uncontested possessions against the Swans’ 189 revealed a lack of pressure.
Once that process was over, Cox focused on creating a team in his own image, while building on the platform built by Longmire. There are small tweaks already: pacy forward Sam Wicks has been shifted to the backline and defender Tom McCartin will play as a forward this season. On Friday, Cox will give debuts to forward Tom Hanily and defender Ben Paton.
Cox’s challenge goes far beyond the magnets on a coaching board. He has to bring back belief in a side that has combusted spectacularly on the biggest stage at the MCG twice, against Geelong and Brisbane. No game plan can do that.
Speaking before the opening round, Swans forward Will Hayward spoke about the impact Cox was already having on the playing group.
“Coxy is a football genius, and he’s tweaked things that the media and some people might not see, but we’ve seen big changes in the pre-season to parts of our game plan,” Hayward said.
Campaign to keep Chad Warner
Cox has two major priorities this season: restore confidence in the Swans and persuade Warner to extend his stay in Sydney.
The Swans have smartly signed Warner’s younger brother Corey on a two-year extension after a strong pre-season, but securing the second signature from the family will prove a tougher challenge.
Warner’s 35 goals last season, combined with an average of 14 kicks a game, are difficult to replicate.
The pull of returning home to Perth is strong for Warner, but there are also reasons to stay in Sydney. After two disappointing grand final losses, there is a playing list that is still capable of winning a premiership.
Warner also has a close relationship with Cox, who regularly has the Warner brothers over for dinner at his family home.
Warner has strong friendships off the field, too, including forward Logan McDonald and Gulden. Warner is acutely aware of how much he is valued by his teammates and coaches, but is that enough?
The start of the season will help Warner decide whether to stay or go. Is this Swans team capable of another run to the grand final after so much disappointment?
A string of early victories alongside brother Corey will aid contract talks.
The season starts on Friday against a young and exciting Hawthorn team at the SCG. There is no better time for Warner to shine.
