The Sydney Derby, formerly and unofficially called the Battle of the Bridge or the Battle of Sydney,[1][2][3] is an Australian rules football local derby match between the two Sydney-based Australian Football League (AFL) clubs, the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. As of the finals series of the 2024 AFL season, the head-to-head score is in favour of the Sydney Swans with 19 wins to 10; the teams have also met four times in finals matches, with Greater Western Sydney winning three finals to Sydney's one.
The match's former nickname, The Battle of the Bridge, was suggested by GWS's inaugural coach Kevin Sheedy. The bridge in question is the Anzac Bridge which connects Eastern and Western Sydney, not the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, which connects North Sydney to the city part of Sydney.[4][5]
History
The Sydney Cricket Ground as seen during the 2018 second elimination final (Sydney Derby XVI)
The first Sydney Derby was held on 24 March 2012, serving as the Giants' first AFL premiership match in its inaugural season and the opening match of the 2012 season. Fielding a very young and inexperienced team, the Giants only won three games in their first two years in the competition and failed to win any derby games.
The Giants won their first derby in the opening clash of 2014. Later that year, The Daily Telegraph noted there was "genuine dislike off the field" between the clubs.[6] Over the subsequent years, the Giants progressively moved up the AFL ladder and got closer to the Swans, who were premiership contenders during this time. The opening derby of 2015 attracted a crowd of over 30,000, the since the first derby. With both teams vying for a top-four spot at the end of the season, Derby X in 2016 was described as a blockbuster.[7] In the lead up to the game, The Daily Telegraph published an article analysing the rivalry. Though noting that Sydney's surprise recruitment of Lance Franklin created some animosity between the clubs, the article went on to say, "What the rivalry needs is a flash point. ... Something to make it clear that when the Swans and Giants meet there is real feeling. Not the slightly awkward yet mutually respectful détente that currently exists."[8] After the game, the paper declared that an altercation between Steve Johnson and Lance Franklin "was the moment of sporting theatre that inspired a rivalry to truly ignite".[9] It was the first AFL game at Sydney Showground Stadium to be declared a sell-out.[10][11]
The first finals series match between the teams was on 10 September 2016, when the Swans hosted the Giants in the 1st qualifying final of the 2016 season. The Giants defeated the Swans by 36 points, an historic victory considering it was the Giants' first win in a finals series match and was played before a record derby crowd of 60,222.[12][13] The two teams met again in a finals match in the 2018 second elimination final.[14] The Giants registered their biggest-ever victory over the Swans, winning by 49 points in front of a crowd of 40,350.[15]
The two teams met in a Sydney Derby final for the third time in 2021, with that match taking place at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston, Tasmania.[19] In front of a crowd of 8,635, the Giants defeated the Swans by 1 point, the narrowest winning margin in the derby's history.
Former Sydney Swans captain Luke Parker holds the record for most Brett Kirk medals (5).Current GWS Giants captain Toby Greene is the most recent recipient of the award to represent Greater Western Sydney.
The Brett Kirk Medal is awarded to the player deemed to be the best player on the ground after the match. It is named after Sydney Swans AFL premiership player Brett Kirk, who was born and raised in country New South Wales and played junior football for North Albury. Players highlighted in green are current players for either club.
Like both the "Western Derby" and the "Showdown", pre-season matches do not count towards the overall Sydney Derby results and statistics. However, The first ever match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Sydney Swans occurred during the 2011 pre-season. To date GWS and Sydney have played 10 pre-season fixtures including annually from 2013 to 2021.
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Sydney 19 wins
GWS 10 wins
