Over the past 20 years, AFL in NSW has gone from grass roots to gold standard. The Bloods are now ingrained in Sydney’s character, and I’m so lucky to have been a Bloods brother.
My first guernsey presentation in 2002 was an incredibly proud yet surreal moment, standing beside 45 eager team mates, all of whom had my back from the moment I met them.
Ted Richards, Adam Goodes and Lewis Roberts-Thomson after the second AFL Preliminary Final in 2012.Credit:Getty
I took away a key message from that night – we were told “as a new player, you are now part of the fabric of this club. It is up to you and your teammates, the responsibility is now with you to forge your own path and write the next chapter in the club’s history”.
And write the next chapter we did.
Under Paul Roos, the Bloods culture was born, and it wasn’t long until the drought-breaking 2005 flag was won.
If you’d told me back at that guernsey presentation I’d be playing in a premiership just three years later, I’d have laughed at you. The memory of that incredible day is both vivid and hazy all at once, but if the 22 players running out this weekend are anything like me, they’ll be navigating more than just an adrenaline rush.
While I was more experienced at the second triumph in 2012, neither the emotions nor the routine changed much from the first in 2005. The day started off much like any other game day, surrounded by teammates in the hotel dining room eating Weetabix and vegemite toast. The enormity of the day had little impact on the usual preparations. There were no special variations for the occasion. Usual seats were taken on the team bus, iPod’s out and pump-up playlists on shuffle. Into the sheds where strapping, stretching, massage and meetings all took place as normal. It was the same but it was different. Somewhere beneath it all was an undercurrent of anticipation and nerves. Seventy two years had passed since the last premiership win. The smell of liniment and leather and the sense of occasion seemed to focus the group.
Roosy gathered the four youngest members of the team and took us aside to impart calming wisdom. He said to use the warm up to soak it all in, to bring ourselves into the moment and enjoy it for what it was because, come first bounce, it was time to go to work.
There was nothing to lose, we were by far and away the underdogs but the belief in the group and our trust in each other was stronger than any doubt. We just had to play our brand of footy.
Lewis Roberts-Thomson embraces Nick Malceski after achieving the ultimate success.Credit:Wayne Taylor
Stepping out onto the MCG at age 22, alongside some of the greats of our club, not only filled me with nerves but with an enormous amount of excitement and pride.
Despite all the prep, nothing truly readies you for the intensity of those four quarters – everything is elevated. And even though the roar of the crowd is deafening, so much so you can’t hear your own thoughts let alone your captain’s directions, all that fades and it’s just you and your teammates going into battle. The Bloods.
I can’t describe the feeling when that siren sounds – win or lose, the emotions are genuinely overwhelming. All I remember thinking was – “we’ve done it!” And whether you’ve played a handful of games or are a veteran of the team, the Grand Final at the MCG is the ultimate stage. Playing in premierships is why you play footy. In both 2005 and 2012, what allowed us to win the flag was the trust and respect we had for each other.
Perhaps we didn’t have the most talented group, but we did have an enormous amount of determination and faith. In both playing groups this was built up over time through sheer hard work and honesty. It was the Bloods culture that set the foundation for our success. The culture that the Swans have become renowned for.
Fast forward to today and what is clear when looking at the 2022 Sydney Swans is there is an exceptionally strong foundation. Hard work and commitment paired with enthusiasm and respect seen both on and off the field. The core values have not changed since 2005 but there is one crucial distinction – widespread local support.
No longer can Swans supporters be seen as fair weather fans – plenty are rusted-on.Credit:Getty
While the Swans have always had incredibly loyal and passionate supporters rooted in the heritage of South Melbourne, the sport in Sydney was far from mainstream; even I had to convert from rugby, the sport I played as a kid but fell out of love with when I spied “Aussie Rules”.
Sydneysiders have keenly embraced all things AFL and the days of flying under the radar are gone – for the players that in itself is empowering and motivating. Win or lose on Grand Final day, the Bloods are here to stay.
Lewis Roberts-Thompson is a dual-premiership winning Sydney Swans player.
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