AFL Finals: Sydney Swans keep the faith amid turmoil ahead of Fremantle Dockers prelim final

Sydney stalwart Jake Lloyd believes the Swans’ AFL premiership push won’t be overshadowed by a few individuals who “made the wrong choices”.

Navigating the fallout from last month’s Pullman Hotel scandal, the club will have another chance to earn back the respect of the Swans faithful and the wider AFL world in Friday’s preliminary final against Fremantle at the SCG.

Sydney have already displayed their desperation to rebuild their famed “Bloods culture’‘ with a spirited 53-point qualifying-final win over Brisbane, rallying after captain Callum Mills’ first-quarter knee injury.

Many in the football world had written off the Swans in the lead-up to finals, with even club chairman Andrew Pridham believing their chances had been “torpedoed” following five suspensions.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice are all serving club-imposed suspensions.

Set to vie for a grand final spot, veteran defender Lloyd said the Swans’ push for a premiership was “bigger than a few individuals”.

“It (winning a flag) would obviously be very special for the footy club itself, the people involved,” Lloyd told AAP.

“There are a few individuals that made the wrong choices and made the wrong decisions.

“But the club’s bigger than a few individuals, and there are people that do a lot of right things all the time. It’d be really special for those people.

“I remember post-game (after the Lions match) speaking to a couple of club legends and had a couple of messages from people that have been around the footy club for a long time.

“They said ‘that’s one of the best wins I’ve been a part of’.

“The expectations on the outside were that we couldn’t win, but the belief from the group within the four walls was super strong all week.”

Swans coach Dean Cox is well aware the club’s qualifying final win was far from enough to win back the harbour city.

“We’re still trying to do that,” Cox said this week.

Alongside Mills and stand-in captain Dane Rampe, Lloyd was crucial in leading the Swans through the immediate aftermath leading up to their round-24 match against North Melbourne.

“It’s a bit of a blur, to be honest. There was so much involved,” Lloyd said.

“As a senior player, it was just trying to get around the rest of the group and supporting them. The feelings were different for everyone.

“I’m just super proud of the club itself, supporting our women’s team in the lead-up to that game. Our VFL team came out and put in a really strong performance themselves.

“It’s going to show how strong a club we do have.

“It’s very tough. I’m extremely disappointed in the situation the guys found themselves in.”

Like Rampe, Lloyd is chasing his maiden premiership after playing in four grand final defeats (2014, 2016, 2022 and 2024).

The pair were re-drafted as rookies at the end of last year, and while Rampe has yet to make a call on his playing future, Lloyd has signed on for a 15th season.

“There’s certainly no doubt that I won’t do everything to try and achieve a premiership, but it’s not going to define who I am,” Lloyd said.