Three-time Brownlow Medallist Bob Skilton has been named captain – and rover - of the Sydney Swans Team of the Century, while his deputy is fellow rover nominee, Paul Kelly, who was picked in the forward pocket.
Skilton captained the side from 1961-71 (and was captain-coach from 1965-66), winning the club best-and-fairest a record nine times and topping the goal kicking three times.
Kelly – known as ‘Captain Courageous’ - won a Brownlow Medal in 1995 and captained the Swans from 1993 to his retirement at the end of the 2002 season and won the club best and fairest in 1992-93 and in 1996-97.
Powerful defender-ruckman Vic Belcher was selected in the back pocket, and remains the only man to have played in two red and white premiership teams.
He is joined in defence by John Rantall who stills holds the record for the most games (260) with the Swans. He captained the side when Skilton was sidelined through injury in 1969 then in his own right in 1972.
The AFL’s most prolific goal kicker, Tony Lockett, won the full-forward position, after kicking Sydney to the Grand Final with his post-siren behind against Essendon and topping the club goal kicking each season from 1995-2000, with a best of 121 goals in 1996.
The only current player on the team is midfielder Daryn Cresswell, who made the interchange.
Ruckman Jack Bissett - who was appointed South captain-coach in 1933 and guided them to the 1933 premiership and to three more grand finals, from 1934-36, in his four-season tenure - was named coach.
The full team is:
B: John Rantall, John Heriot, Vic Belcher
H/B: Bill Faul, Ron Clegg, Dennis Carroll
C: David Murphy, Greg Williams, Herb Matthews
H/F: Tony Morwood, Laurie Nash, Gerard Healy
F: Bob Pratt, Tony Lockett, Paul Kelly (VC)
Foll: Barry Round, Peter Bedford, Bob Skilton (Capt)
Inter: Bill Williams, Stevie Wright, Daryn Cresswell, Fred Goldsmith, Mark Bayes, Harry Clarke, Mark Tandy
Coach: Jack Bissett
The team was selected from a list of 66 nominees. In order to qualify for the list, players must have taken to the field for at least 75 games for the South Melbourne / Sydney Swans Football Club and have either held a leadership role, won a club award, Brownlow medal, All-Australian or state selection.
Sydney chairman Richard Colless said the club was overwhelmed by the success of the night.
“When we embarked on the Team of the Century project, we knew the function would be a huge event but the response has been even greater than we could have anticipated,” Colless said.
“Apart from the size of the night, what is extremely pleasing is the fact that almost half of those in attendance came up from Melbourne.
“It is an acknowledgement of this club’s heritage in both Melbourne and Sydney and the magnitude of the dinner augers well for the Swans versus Hawthorn Heritage game the following night at the SCG.”
The selection panel for the Swans team of the century was:-
Rick Quade (chairman), a former captain and coach of the Swans;
Jim Main, long-time journalist, co-author of The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers and life-time Swans supporter;
Bill Jacobs, retired journalist and one of the selectors of the AFL Team of the Century;
John Heriot, former player and president of the Swans’ past players association in Melbourne; and
Dennis Carroll, a former captain of the club.
