IN THE wake of the scandal that has engulfed Sydney's AFL team, a concerted effort is being made to build relationships between the men's and women's programs.
With Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice serving bans for breaching club standards following an alleged incident in Melbourne, Sydney's club culture and attitudes towards women have been brought into question.
Within the club, efforts are being made to bring the AFL and AFLW teams closer together.
"This has honestly brought us closer. We're doing breath work in the morning together, we're doing little things," forward Cynthia Hamilton said.
"Errol Gulden's been flicking the message (about breath work) across to join both teams together as an opportunity to come closer.
"The boys have been bloody awesome. They've really brought the two groups together.
"In light of what's happened, it's actually kind of beautiful how the club has reacted. I would say we're closer than what we were before."
The Swans' AFLW team also received surge of support from across the football community in the aftermath, with Hamilton urging fans to continue their support in Sunday's Sydney Derby.
Despite hosting crosstown rivals Greater Western Sydney at Henson Park, the Swans don't have a homeground advantage with the head-to-head record at the venue deadlocked at 2-2.
“Oh, it’s an even split! It's incredible,” Giants forward Tarni Evans said.
“It's such a great ground that we all love playing at. So, hopefully, we get a few oranges there this weekend.
"It's always a tight game. Derbies are always tight across both the men's and the women's comps, so we can't wait.”
After round two's clash drew a record crowd of 16,672 at the SCG, the Swans are hoping for another strong turnout.
“The Sydney crowd always rallies around us... The hill is always pumping, the stands are full, and we want to push women's sport to get better and better,” Hamilton said.
“This is where we play our good footy.
"Henson is home for both of us, so that makes it super exciting.
“We love to play here. The crowd really gets around us... We've definitely got a bit of fire to come back and claim it over [the Giants].”
With the cross-town rivalry alive and well, Hamilton copped some criticism earlier this year after wearing a Giants scarf on broadcast to support her younger brother Riley’s AFL debut for GWS.
However, Hamilton emphasised that the gesture was purely about family, assuring fans her on-field loyalty remains firmly with the Swans.
“Family is a huge part of my life, and I can't express how proud I am of my brother. I don't care what colour he's in; I'll always be there to support my family,” she said.
“But at the end of the day, when I put on my Swans guernsey and cross that line, there's no guessing what I'll do. I love what (Riley is) doing at the Giants, and they’ve been really good for him, but at the end of the day, I'm at the Swans, and that's where my heart lies.”
Sydney hosts Greater Western Sydney at Henson Park on Sunday at 2.35pm AEST. Tickets available here
