Going into the 2021 season, very little was expected from the Sydney Swans in terms of challenging for a finals spot. And yet, that's exactly what they did.
Despite falling short in their single finals appearance last year, Sydney was lauded league-wide for coming out of seemingly nowhere to finish among the top eight.
Over the course of the off-season, the Swans added Peter Ladhams from Port Adelaide via trade and offered an AFL lifeline to 2014 No. 1 pick Patrick McCartin, brother of Swans defender, Tom. But it came as a cost, as they lost Jordan Dawson to Adelaide and George Hewett to Carlton.
In any case, senior coach John Longmire will be pushing his men to duplicate the success they had in 2021.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Peter Ladhams (Port Adelaide), Patrick McCartin (Supplemental Selection Period), Angus Sheldrick (National Draft), Matthew Roberts (National Draft), Corey Warner (National Draft), Lachlan Rankin (National Draft).
Outs: Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows), George Hewett (Carlton), Kaiden Brand (delisted), Malachy Carruthers (delisted), Sam Gray (delisted), Matthew Ling (delisted).
Last Season
The Swans turned heads last season, finishing sixth on the ladder after a vastly impressive home-and-away season.
Unfortunately, however, they fell one point short against rivals Greater Western Sydney in a nail-biting elimination final in Tasmania.
The Swans started the season hot, winning their first four games, including gobsmacking victories over the Lions in Brisbane and then-reigning premier Richmond at the MCG.
Sydney went on to lose four out of their six games, including an incredibly disappointing outing against the Gold Coast Suns.
The 'Bloods' were able to come home with a wet sail heading into the finals, winning seven out of their final nine matches by an average margin of 42.1 points.
