ON SATURDAY afternoon, footballs rained from the SCG sky, and goal anthems rang out on repeat as four giants dictated terms.

Unleashed for the first time this season, Sydney's towering four-prong forward line of Charlie Curnow, Hayden McLean, Logan McDonald, and Joel Amartey spearheaded a 114-point demolition of Richmond. The onslaught saw the Swans pile on a season-high 25.20 (170), with Curnow booting eight goals, McLean snaring four, McDonald chipping in with two, and Amartey adding another.

While this four-tall structure worked brilliantly, it comes with an asterisk. 

Modern footy consensus dictates that playing four key forwards is unsustainable week to week, as it often makes a team too heavy and vulnerable on the rebound. Yet, faced with an injury-depleted Richmond backline on a dry afternoon on the tight SCG deck – and with small forwards Tom Papley and Malcolm Rosas jnr sidelined – coach Dean Cox opted to break the mould.

He had previously labelled the selection battle between his key forwards "the hardest decision to make". That stiff competition has forced an in-form McLean to bide his time in the reserves – despite dominating the VFL level and slotting three goals against North Melbourne in his only other senior appearance this year. 

Returning to the senior line-up on Saturday, McLean celebrated his 100-game milestone in style – a hard-earned reward following a limited 2026 campaign shaped by the arrival of marquee recruit Curnow. 

His situation highlights the elite standards within the club, where even a key forward averaging more than two goals a game in the VFL struggles to break into the AFL side.

"It's about patience. Trying to control what I can control each week, whether that's in the ones or the twos," McLean told reporters afterwards. 

"It's just trying to play to my strengths, and it's hard competing with Logan, Joel and Charlie, in a fit team that's winning a lot. I don't have to change too much. So, when you get an opportunity like today, you just have to try to take it with both hands.

"To have the four talls this week… I think it worked. It'll add more pressure on spots as well, so we'll see what happens next week."

McLean is not bitter about spending time in the VFL; instead, he respects Cox’s transparent communication.

"It's just a lot of honest conversations during the week with 'Coxy' (Cox)," he said.

"He's been open with me and honest with me and said it's probably one of the hardest decisions he's made. 

"Credit to him, he's always respectful. He brought 'Heenes' (Isaac Heeney) in, one of my good mates and a leader of the club, just to talk through it all, really. So, when I left the meeting, it was just clear what I had to do."

Beyond tactics, Sydney's immense list depth creates a significant challenge for a coaching panel managing a premiership-contending squad.

"It was something we've been speaking about for a little bit," Cox said post-match. 

"Do we go ahead with it? When do we do it? And, to Hayden's credit… he took his opportunity. 

"At the start of the year, we spoke about football seasons – they're long years, and they take everyone involved in the squad… To their credit, those senior players who have been in and out have been unbelievable with their attitude towards the team. The hard part is you just have to be as honest as you possibly can with them."

Supported by a midfield unit that generated a massive 73 inside 50s, the big men were rarely caught out. Instead, they played like smalls when the ball hit the deck, with Amartey (four tackles) and McLean (three) maintaining elite defensive pressure to trap the ball inside.

"We got some good looks inside 50 for a number of our forwards, and they complemented each other well," Cox said.

"Even though I thought Joel didn't hit the scoreboard probably like he would have liked, his pressure was enormous right from the outset."

Despite the resounding success, Cox refused to lock this in as Sydney's default structure or speculate on the Swans’ more balanced three-tall look.

"(Selection is) something that every week we talk about all the way up till the end," he said.

"What way are we going to go with our forward line setup… There won't be a constant way in which we go."