Australia's own code of football was played by clubs in South Melbourne and Albert Park as early as 1862, but it was June 1874 when the Red and White received its birthright. That Friday evening in the Temperance Hall, Napier Street, Emerald Hill, a group met to form a football club and four weeks later, on July 15th it was named the South Melbourne Football Club.

South Melbourne was soon prominent in Association football. Home games were played at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground from 1878, and the Club was runner-up to Geelong in 1880, attaining its first Premiership in 1881. Another followed in 1885, and three more between 1888 and 1890. Of the 57 matches played in 1888...

Australia's own code of football was played by clubs in South Melbourne and Albert Park as early as 1862, but it was June 1874 when the Red and White received its birthright. That Friday evening in the Temperance Hall, Napier Street, Emerald Hill, a group met to form a football club and four weeks later, on July 15th it was named the South Melbourne Football Club.

South Melbourne was soon prominent in Association football. Home games were played at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground from 1878, and the Club was runner-up to Geelong in 1880, attaining its first Premiership in 1881. Another followed in 1885, and three more between 1888 and 1890. Of the 57 matches played in 1888-1890, South lost on only six occasions.

The next chance for a Premiership came in 1896, when South Melbourne and Collingwood finished equal on games and goals scored for and against. This resulted in the first Grand Final, in which South Melbourne was defeated by one goal. On Friday 2nd October, the eve of Grand Final Day, six leading VFA clubs, including South Melbourne, met to form a breakaway competition called the Victorian Football League.

South Melbourne's early period in the VFL was highlighted by a Grand Final appearance in 1899. The red and white next made the finals in 1907, losing narrowly to Carlton in the Grand Final. After an inconsistent 1908 season, South appointed Charlie Ricketts as the first recognised coach at the Lake Oval for 1909. On Saturday 9th October 1909, a crowd of 36 700 at the MCG saw South Melbourne 4-14-38 defeat Carlton 4-12-36 to win its first VFL Premiership. South were again runners-up in 1912 and 1914, before winning a second Premiership in 1918, defeating Collingwood 9-8-62 to 7-15-57 after trailing in the final minute of the Grand Final.

South Melbourne - now known as the Swans due to an unprecedented influx of West Australian players - again made the finals between 1932 and 1936, playing in four successive Grand Finals from 1933 to 1936, but capturing only one flag - the Premiership of 1933—defeating Richmond in the season decider.

The Grand Final of 1945, together with the first Semi-Final in 1970 and Elimination final of 1977 were the only finals the Swans played during their remaining 45 years based at Albert Park - but they failed in all three of these crucial engagements. Of the 12 competing VFL clubs, the Swans finished in 8th place or better on only eight occasions over that 45 year period. These statistics, however, mask the magnificent achievements of the players of that period. The leanest years of the Swans also produced nine Brownlow Medals. The record of 13 medals (by 11 players) is the greatest number achieved by any club in the history of VFL/AFL football.

Many administrations through the 1960s and 1970s worked feverishly to keep the Swans afloat. However, diminishing attendances and membership nearly led to financial extinction. Change was a necessity, and club stalwarts Graeme John, Jack Marks and VFL President Alan Aylett cast their eyes further than the confines of Victoria.

In 1981 the Swans received the permission of the VFL to play 11 home matches in Sydney the following season. The first match was played at the SCG on Sunday 28th March 1982, when a crowd of 15 764 saw the Swans defeat Melbourne by 29 points. The Swans' initially successful foray into Sydney continued in July, as they beat North Melbourne to win the Night Series Premiership, and prize money of $105 000.

That initial success, however, was shortlived, and the Club's tenuous hold on its new home was further complicated in 1985, when the VFL agreed to one of the messiest deals ever associated with football - one which was to have significant and far-reaching ramifications for the Club. On 31st July 1985, for what was thought to be $6.3 million, Dr Geoffrey Edelsten bought the Swans. In reality it was $2.9 million in cash, with funding and other payments spread over five years. A period of relative on-field success followed, with an array of stars including Greg Williams, Merv Neagle, Bernard Toohey and Gerard Healy lured to Sydney to join the likes of Warwick Capper, the first player to kick a hundred goals in a season for the Club since Bob Pratt in 1935. However, success on the field was not translated to financial security, membership or a sustainable structure. Edelsten resigned as chairman after less than twelve months. By the end of 1988, ownership passed to a group of investors led by John Geraghty, Mike Willessee and Basil Sellers.

Lack of footballing success and financial instability continued to dog the Club, however, and on 1st September 1992 the owners of the Swans told the AFL that unless the Club was restructured it could not continue. A crucial AFL meeting on October 14th granted the Swans seven days to produce a plan for survival - a merger with North Melbourne being one of the options proposed by the AFL.

It was a momentous meeting on October 21st 1992. At 7.33pm, the Club's survival was ensured when the other clubs voted that the AFL should waive the Swans' outstanding license fee (almost $2 million), provide working capital to the club for three years, and award priority draft choices. AFL intervention was launched emphatically early in the following season when the team's losing streak extended to eighteen successive defeats and coach Gary Buckenara was replaced by Brett Scott as caretaker coach. On May 4th, the AFL Commission led by Ross Oakley resolved that the Swans would revert to a traditional member-based system rather than continuing with private ownership, that AFL Executive Commissioner Alan Schwab would be appointed Executive Chairman of the Club, and that Ron Barassi would be appointed coach until the end of 1995.

On June 27th 1993, in Barassi's seventh match as coach, Sydney broke its 26 game losing streak with a 40 point victory over the more favoured Melbourne. It seemed that the team and the Club had survived its lowest point.

The Club began to achive off-field stability, as the transition period moved to the administration under Richard Colless, the foundation chairman of the West Coast Eagles, who from 1993 to 1995 recruited the nucleus of the current Board of Directors, and remains Chairman going into the 2004 season.

On the field, Ron Barassi made a gradual transformation to the team. From three successive wooden spoons in 1992-1994, 1995 saw the team finish in 12th position on the ladder, with on-field performances bolstered by the recruitment of Paul Roos and Tony Lockett, as well as the development of the Swans' young players.

Following the retirement from coaching of Ron Barassi, four-time Hawthorn Premiership player Rodney Eade was appointed coach, taking the Club to its first Grand Final since 1945 in his first season as a senior coach. From 1996 to 2002 under the coaching of Eade, the Club would fail to contest the finals only in 2000 and 2002.

Paul Roos, former Fitzroy captain and Sydney player, replaced Rodney Eade as caretaker coach after the first half of the 2002 season, and was formally appointed senior coach prior to the 2003 season. His first season as senior coach was a successful one—he took the team to a Preliminary Final, and was also voted Coach Of The Year by the AFL Coaches' Association.

The 2005 season was to be the crowning glory when, after 72 years, the Sydney Swans overcame a slow start to the season to storm home over the later part of the year winning 16 of their last 19 games.

After losing the Qualifying Final to West Coast in controversial circumstances at Subiaco the Swans then escaped narrowly in the Semi Final beating Geelong with only seconds remaining on the clock at the SCG.

Local Sydney boy Nick Davis kicked four last quarter goals to give the Swans victory and a meeting with premiership favourites St Kilda at the SCG in the Preliminary Final.

Again a stirring final quarter by the Swans, when they kicked seven-goals, overwhelmed the Saints and the Swans ran out easy winners by 31-points.

A week later in what many regard as one of the greatest grand finals of recent times the Swans prevailed in nail-biting circumstances to exact revenge over West Coast by four-points, the final score was 8.10.(58) to 7.12.(54).

The Club trophy cabinet was bolstered further after the Sydney Swans won the ‘National Team of the Year' and Paul Roos voted ‘Coach of the Year' at the Confederation of Australian Sport 2005 Awards. The Sydney Swans were also joint winners of the state ‘Team of the Year' at the NSW Sports Awards.

The Swans backed up their premiership by making the 2006 AFL Grand Final, once again facing West Coast. Despite trailing 25-points at halftime, the Bloods displayed all their fighting spirit to get within one point before the siren sounded - losing 12.13 (85) to 12.12 (84).