Sydney Derby (AFL)

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 and attracted a then-Derby record crowd of 38,203. This game was also the first game of the 2012 AFL season and the first AFL premiership match for the Giants. 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. This led to declining attendances at Sydney Derbies.

The Giants won their first Derby in the opening clash of 2014. Later in the year The Daily Telegraph noted there was 'genuine dislike off the field' between the clubs.[4] 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 first time this had occurred since the first Derby. The 2016 Derbies were both well attended—the Swans home game had the second highest attendance in fixture history. The Giants home game was the 10th Sydney Derby. With both teams vying for a top four spot at the end of the season, the game was described as a blockbuster.[5] 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'.[6] 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'.[7] It was the first AFL game at Sydney Showground Stadium to be declared a sell-out and was Foxtel's highest rating program of the day, second highest rating twilight match of the season and the second-most watched Sydney Derby - behind only the inaugural clash.[8][9]

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 derby record crowd of 60,222.[10][11] The two teams met again in a finals match in the 2018 second elimination final; it was the first time the sides met in a knock-out match.[12] The Giants registered their biggest-ever victory over the Swans, winning by 49 points in front of a crowd of 40,350—the largest for a Sydney Derby at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[13]

In August 2020, the two teams contested a Sydney Derby at Optus Stadium in Perth due to concerns over a second wave of coronavirus cases in Sydney,[14] while Sydney's outbreak in July 2021 saw that month's fixture moved first to Mars Stadium in Ballarat,[15] then to Metricon Stadium following a COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.[16]

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. It became the fourth different state to host a Sydney Derby.[17] In front of a crowd of 8,635, the smallest ever Sydney Derby finals crowd and the third-smallest Sydney Derby crowd overall, the Giants defeated the Swans by 1 point, the narrowest winning margin in the derby's history.

The two venues usually used for the Sydney Derby are the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Showground Stadium. The first three Sydney Derbies and the 2016 finals series derby were held at Stadium Australia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney Derby XIX was played at Optus Stadium in Perth,[14] Sydney Derby XXI was played at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast[16] and Sydney Derby XXII was played at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston.[17] This meant that three of the last four Sydney Derbies took place on neutral territory.

• 
  Sydney Cricket Ground
  (Sydney Swans)
• 
  Sydney Showground Stadium
  (GWS Giants)
• 
  Stadium Australia

Sydney Cricket Ground

Stadium Australia

Sydney Showground Stadium

Source: Click here

Sydney junior and former Swans captain Kieren Jack holds the record with Lance Franklin and Luke Parker for most Brett Kirk Medals (3).

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.

NOTE: No medal was awarded in Sydney Derby XI, Sydney Derby XVI or Sydney Derby XXII due to those matches being a finals match.

Below are listed statistics from the Sydney Derby only.

Highest scores

Club	Round	Goals	Behinds	Total
Sydney Swans	2013, Round 16	24	27	171
Sydney Swans	2015, Round 21	20	13	133
Sydney Swans	2012, Round 14	19	18	132
GWS Giants	2019, Round 6	18	12	120
Sydney Swans	2015, Round 3	16	15	111

Lowest scores

Club	Round	Goals	Behinds	Total
GWS Giants	2020, Round 12	3	7	25
Sydney Swans	2018, Elimination Final	4	6	30
GWS Giants	2012, Round 1	5	7	37
GWS Giants	2012, Round 14	5	8	38
GWS Giants	2013, Round 16	5	12	42

Biggest wins

Club	Round	Winning score	Losing score	Margin
Sydney Swans	2013, Round 16	24.27 (171)	5.12 (42)	129
Sydney Swans	2012, Round 14	19.18 (132)	5.8 (38)	94
Sydney Swans	2015, Round 21	20.13 (133)	6.8 (44)	89
Sydney Swans	2012, Round 1	14.16 (100)	5.7 (37)	63
GWS Giants	2018, Elimination Final	10.19 (79)	4.6 (30)	49

Smallest wins

Club	Round	Winning score	Losing score	Margin
GWS Giants	2021, Elimination Final	11.8 (74)	10.13 (73)	1
GWS Giants	2019, Round 20	12.11 (83)	12.9 (81)	2
GWS Giants	2021, Round 5	9.17 (71)	10.9 (69)	2
Sydney Swans	2017, Round 17	14.12 (96)	12.11 (83)	13
Sydney Swans	2018, Round 3	16.7 (103)	12.15 (87)	16

Goals in one game

Player	Club	Date	Goals	Behinds	Total
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2015, Round 3	5	5	35
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2018, Round 22	5	4	34
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2014, Round 15	5	3	33
Kurt Tippett	Sydney Swans	2015, Round 21	5	3	33
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2021, Round 5	5	0	30
Jeremy Cameron	GWS Giants	2016, Qualifying Final	4	4	28
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2017, Round 17	4	4	28
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2021, Round 18	4	2	26
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	2016, Round 12	4	2	26
Issac Heeney	Sydney Swans	2019, Round 20	4	2	26
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2016, Round 3	4	1	25
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	2017, Round 5	4	1	25
Issac Heeney	Sydney Swans	2021, Elimination Final	4	1	25
Jeremy Cameron	GWS Giants	2014, Round 1	4	0	24
Issac Heeney	Sydney Swans	2015, Round 3	4	0	24
Stephen Coniglio	GWS Giants	2019, Round 6	4	0	24
Tom Papley	Sydney Swans	2021, Round 18	4	0	24
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	2017, Round 5	4	1	25
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	2021, Elimination Final	3	1	19
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	2021, Elimination Final	3	1	19

Goal total

Lance Franklin has kicked the most goals for Sydney in Sydney Derby history (36).

Player	Club	Goals	Behinds	Accuracy	Games	Goals/Game
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	36	28	54.4%	12	2.81
Jeremy Cameron	GWS Giants	33	23	58.2%	16	2.13
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	22	14	61.1%	14	1.57
Jonathon Patton	GWS Giants	16	6	72.7%	11	1.45
Kieren Jack	Sydney Swans	16	10	61.5%	16	1.00
Josh Kennedy	Sydney Swans	16	11	59.3%	18	0.89
Tom Papley	Sydney Swans	14	12	52.9%	10	1.56
Ben McGlynn	Sydney Swans	14	4	77.8%	10	1.40
Kurt Tippett	Sydney Swans	13	13	50.0%	8	1.63
Stephen Coniglio	GWS Giants	13	3	81.3%	14	1.00

Disposals in one game

Player	Club	Date	Disposals
Jarrad McVeigh	Sydney Swans	2012, Round 14	37
Lachie Whitfield	GWS Giants	2015, Round 3	37
Ryan O'Keefe	Sydney Swans	2012, Round 14	36
Jarrad McVeigh	Sydney Swans	2013, Round 16	35
Dan Hannebery	Sydney Swans	2015, Round 3	35
Josh Kennedy	Sydney Swans	2015, Round 21	35
Luke Parker	Sydney Swans	2021, Elimination Final	34
Dan Hannebery	Sydney Swans	2013, Round 16	34
Adam Treloar	GWS Giants	2014, Round 1	34
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	2019, Round 20	34
Kieren Jack	Sydney Swans	2012, Round 14	33
Devon Smith	GWS Giants	2015, Round 3	33
Luke Parker	Sydney Swans	2018, Round 22	33
Dylan Shiel	GWS Giants	2018, Round 22	33
Jacob Hopper	GWS Giants	2019, Round 6	33
Luke Parker	Sydney Swans	2021, Round 18	31
Harry Perryman	GWS Giants	2021, Elimination Final	29

Derbies played

Player	Club	Games
Josh Kennedy	Sydney Swans	18
Phil Davis	GWS Giants	16
Kieren Jack	Sydney Swans	16
Luke Parker	Sydney Swans	16
Callan Ward	GWS Giants	16
Jeremy Cameron	GWS Giants	15
Dan Hannebery	Sydney Swans	15
Heath Grundy	Sydney Swans	15
Dylan Shiel	GWS Giants	15
Lachie Whitfield	GWS Giants	15
Toby Greene	GWS Giants	14
Jarrad McVeigh	Sydney Swans	14
Shane Mumford	GWS & Sydney	14
Dane Rampe	Sydney Swans	14

Brownlow votes

New South Wales native and AFL Premiership player/coach John Longmire holds the best winning percentage of any coach in Sydney Derby history (68.75%).

Brownlow Votes as of the end of the 2018 AFL season.

Player	Club	Votes	H&A	Average
Josh Kennedy	Sydney Swans	14	15	0.93
Lance Franklin	Sydney Swans	9	9	1.00
Shane Mumford	GWS & Sydney	8	11	0.73
Kieren Jack	Sydney Swans	7	13	0.54
Callan Ward	GWS	6	14	0.43

Coach statistics

Coaches highlighted in green are the current head coach for either Sydney or Greater Western Sydney.

Coach	Club	Years	Total	Wins	Losses	Percent
John Longmire	Sydney Swans	2012–present	19	12	7	65.83%
Leon Cameron	GWS	2014–present	15	7	8	46.66%
Kevin Sheedy	GWS	2012–2013	4	0	4	0.00%

• Western Derby: The AFL Intrastate Derby of Western Australia, first played in 1995. (West Coast Eagles Vs. Fremantle Dockers).
• Showdown: The AFL Intrastate Derby of South Australia, first played in 1997. (Adelaide Crows Vs. Port Adelaide Power).
• QClash: The AFL intrastate Derby of Queensland, first played in 2011. (Brisbane Lions Vs. Gold Coast Suns)