Sydney Derby (AFL)


The Sydney Derby is an Australian rules football local derby match between the two Sydney-based Australian Football League clubs, the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. As of Round 20 of the 2025 AFL season, the head-to-head score is in favour of the Sydney Swans with 20 wins to 11; the teams have also met four times in [AFL AFL finals series|finals series|finals] matches, with GWS winning three finals to Sydney's one.
The fixture was formerly known by the title "Battle of the Bridge," which was coined by inaugural Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy. The bridge in question was intended to be the Anzac Bridge which links the Sydney CBD to the Inner West. However, it was often mistakenly understood to be the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge which joins the city centre to North Sydney. Due to this ambiguity, former Swans captain Kieren Jack noted in a 2021 interview that the clubs ultimately "settled" on the term "Sydney Derby". While the original term persists in the media, it is no longer used officially.

History

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. 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. 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." 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". It was the first AFL game at Sydney Showground Stadium to be declared a sell-out.
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. The two teams met again in a finals match in the 2018 second elimination final. The Giants registered their biggest-ever victory over the Swans, winning by 49 points in front of a crowd of 40,350.
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, while Sydney's outbreak in July 2021 saw that month's fixture moved first to Mars Stadium in Ballarat, then to Metricon Stadium following a COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.
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. 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.

Venues

The two venues usually used for the Sydney Derby are the Sydney Cricket Ground for Swans home games and Sydney Showground Stadium for Giants home games. The first three Sydney Derbies and the 2016 finals series derby were held at Stadium Australia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, three Sydney Derbies were played at neutral grounds: Optus Stadium in Perth, Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast, University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston.

Results

|10.9
Source:
'' Crowds impacted by COVID-19''

Brett Kirk Medal

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.
YearMatchMedalistTeam
2012Sydney
2012Sydney
2013 Sydney
2013Sydney
2014GWS
2014 Sydney
2015Sydney
2015 Sydney
2016Sydney
2016GWS
2017GWS
2017Sydney
2017 GWS
2018Sydney
2018 Sydney
2019GWS
2019GWS
2020 Sydney
2021 Sydney
2021 Sydney
2022 Sydney
2022 Sydney
2023GWS
2023Sydney
2024 Sydney
2024 Sydney
2025Sydney
2025GWS

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

Statistics

Below are listed statistics from the Sydney Derby only.

Player statistics

''Players highlighted in green are still on AFL lists for either Sydney or Greater Western Sydney. Updated to the end of 2024.''

Goal total

PlayerClubGoalsBehindsAccuracyGamesGoals/Game
Lance Franklin Sydney503261.0%172.94
Toby Greene GWS362856.3%211.71
Jeremy Cameron GWS332358.2%162.13
Tom Papley Sydney271662.8%181.50
Isaac Heeney Sydney251464.1%201.25

Brownlow votes

Brownlow Votes as of the end of the 2023 AFL season.
PlayerClubVotesAverage
Luke Parker Sydney19240.79
Josh Kennedy Sydney16220.73
Lance Franklin Sydney15170.88
Shane Mumford GWS & Sydney8160.5
Kieran Jack Sydney7160.44

Coach statistics

Coaches highlighted in green are the current head coach for either Sydney or Greater Western Sydney.
CoachClubYearsTotalWinsLossesPercent
John Longmire Sydney2012–20242417770.83%
Adam Kingsley GWS2023–51420.00%
Leon Cameron GWS2014–2022157846.66%
Kevin Sheedy GWS2012–20134040.00%
Mark McVeigh GWS20221010.00%

Results (AFL Women's)

and also each compete in the AFL Women's competition, Greater Western Sydney having joined the inaugural competition, and Sydney joining in 2022 (S7). The following Sydney Derbies have since been played in the AFL Women's competition.
YearDateRoundHome teamAway teamScoreWinnerVenueAttendance
S7 (2022)10 September 20223SydneyGWS18 - 65SCG4,223
20233 September 20231SydneyGWS51 - 46North Sydney Oval5,474