Sydney are again primed for a premiership push despite their coaching change, with Dean Cox inheriting a lethal squad that will again be favoured as a flag chance.
The Swans came mightily close to snapping their premiership drought last year, being the best side throughout the home and away season before struggling to replicate their regular season form on the biggest of stages.
The New South Wales side is home to some of the game's best across all three lines of the field, with most of their leading names only just scratching the surface.
Here we assess Sydney's 2025 squad and select a best 23 outfit ahead of the new season.
Our Best 23 for 2025 series will include players unavailable for the start of the season, except for those expected to miss most or all of the season through injury or suspension.
3. Forwards
Sydney's front third is home to a high-upside trio of talls in Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean, who combined for 107 goals in 2024.
Amartey claimed the club's leading goalkicker gong with 43 majors while McDonald continued to grow as an emerging target ready to spearhead Dean Cox's attack.
Lively half-forward Will Hayward also enjoyed a career-best season, going past 40 goals for the first time in his eight-year stint with the Swans to be a lethal threat for the opposition given his mix of power and leaping ability.
Small forward Tom Papley is perhaps the Swans' best in attack however, with his ground-level work and speed a headache for his direct opponent, while Papley can also shift to a role further up the field.
Sam Wicks will be hoping to partner Papley in the front third after struggling to cement his role last year, while Justin McInerney and James Jordon are likely to find themselves forward of the ball at times in 2025.
Former Docker Joel Hamling has proven to be a handful for VFL defenders since swapping to Sydney and could add some selection pressure on the senior side, with swingman Aaron Francis another forward to consider.
