The Sydney Swans appear to be tiring at the antics of their Harbour City rivals, GWS.
The Giants’ media department is regularly credited as being among the more creative — and niggling — in Australian sport, particularly around their “big brother”, the Swans.
So far this season, GWS attempted to roast the Swans over coach John Longmire’s pronunciation of Stephen Coniglio’s surname and took shots at the club’s famed “Bloods” culture and South Melbourne history.
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Defender Sam Taylor also labelled Sydney “smug” and “chirpy” ahead of a Sydney derby this season, with the Swans winning both matches on-field between the clubs in 2024.
The GWS media department’s latest effort was a video this week of Toby Greene mocking Swans star Isaac Heeney’s message to fans after his one-match ban was upheld by the AFL Appeals Board.
Heeney’s was met with widespread support from Swans fans, drawing over 26,000 likes and 1200 comments, although media figures such as David King and Kane Cornes felt it was a little over the top for a one-match suspension.
Greene’s video also hit its intended target, viewed nearly 730,000 times at the time of writing and receiving over 400 comments, the majority taking it in the lighthearted manner that was intended.
Except, that is, for the Swans.
Asked about the video on SEN radio on Saturday, Sydney chief executive Tom Harley was in no mood to discuss it.
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“I did see the Giants one, I’m not going to give it any air, pretty low-brow,” he said.
“Isaac is a champion of our club and a champion of the game and talk about growing the game, a bloke from Newcastle brought up on rugby league, I wouldn’t have done it.”
The episode in some ways demonstrates the wildly different personalities of the two clubs, with the Swans celebrating their 150 year history in 2024 and typically fiercely defensive of their culture and approach.
That’s contrasted with the 14-year-old Giants, who are based in a rugby league heartland and have successfully used modern social media tactics to build their following.
According to the AFL, the Giants amassed over 10,000 new social media followers between January and April this year, more than any other club.
Harley was pressed on whether the irritation was growing with the Giants and offered only a terse: “Not interested in giving it any air.”
Paul Roos, the Swans’ 2005 premiership-winning coach, was prepared to elaborate on his feelings earlier this year.
“If I’m (Giants coach) Adam (Kingsley), I’m walking into the media department and walking into the executive and saying ‘enough is enough’,” he said.
“It’s time for Adam and the Giants to let their football speak for itself.
“If you get caught up in this garbage that they’re doing at the moment, I don’t think it does anything for your brand. Yeah, it’s funny. But it’s a credibility piece for me.”
Giants star Tom Green responded simply on his podcast: “OK, boomer.”
The Swans fought tooth and nail to get Heeney cleared of his striking charge, which has cost the 28-year-old any shot at this year’s Brownlow Medal and left Harley and the club “confused” and “bitterly disappointed”.
There seems little confusion, however, in the Giants’ ability to get under the Swans’ skin.
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The Swans passed a record 70,000 members last month and are the flag favourites, extending their AFL best record to 14-3 following Saturday’s dominant 20.18 (138) to 9.5 (59) win over North Melbourne.
The finals-chasing Giants are clearly growing their following and will rightly use any tactic at their disposal in such a diluted sporting landscape.
Play on.