21: Matt Donnelly | Managing a Group of 30,000 Swans Diehards on Facebook

21: Matt Donnelly | Managing a Group of 30,000 Swans Diehards on Facebook

Every football club has its gathering places. For Sydney Swans supporters, some of the biggest conversations don't happen at the SCG. They happen online. Matt Donnelly is one of the people helping keep those conversations alive, playing a key role in running some of the Sydney Swans' largest Facebook communities. Every day, he sees the passion, humour, heartbreak and occasional chaos that comes with bringing thousands of passionate supporters together in one place. In this episode, Matt shares what it's really like managing those online communities, the friendships and challenges that come with it, and why supporter groups have become such an important part of the modern football experience. Along the way, we dive into where Matt's love of the Swans began, the players and moments that have stayed with him, and why the people you meet through a football club often become just as important as the games themselves.

20: Maddi Anderson | Standing on the MCG on Grand Final Day

While most fans are finding their seats, the cheer squad is already hard at work, preparing the banners, setting the atmosphere and helping create the moments that players run towards before the first bounce. In this episode, Maddi Anderson takes us behind the scenes of life in the cheer squad, sharing what it's really like to stand on the MCG on Grand Final day, hold up the banner in front of more than 100,000 people, and play a small but unforgettable role in some of the biggest moments in Swans history. We also explore the story behind Sisters of the South, the female-inclusive supporter group helping bring Sydney Swans fans together in Melbourne, and the friendships, traditions and sense of belonging that have grown from following the red and white. Along the way, Maddi reflects on the memories that have shaped her journey as a Swans supporter and why, for so many people, supporting a football club becomes about far more than what happens on the field.

19: Polly Porridge | She Started as a Supporter, Now She's a True Blood

Polly Porridge never expected supporting the Sydney Swans would lead here. What started as a love for the red and white has become something much bigger: a place in the True Bloods team, a voice in the Swans supporter community, and a role in helping tell the story of the club’s AFLW journey. In this episode, Polly shares where her love of the Swans began, the moments and people that shaped her connection to the club, and what it means to now be part of the media landscape around the team she grew up loving. We also explore the growth of AFLW, the importance of giving women’s football the attention it deserves, and the gratitude Polly feels for the friendships, opportunities and community that have come from being part of True Bloods. This is a conversation about finding your people, using your voice, and what can happen when supporting a football club opens doors you never saw coming.

18: Tyson Hunter | Creating The Adam Goodes Mural

Oh man, this one was special. Sometimes football stories aren’t really about football. Tyson Hunter is a founder of Apparition Media: The artistic and creative force behind the now-iconic Adam Goodes mural on the corner of Crown Street in Surry Hills, Sydney. It is a powerful tribute to one of the most important figures in Sydney Swans history and Australian sport. What makes Tyson’s story interesting is that he’s not a lifelong Swans supporter. Yet somehow, he found himself creating one of the most emotionally significant pieces of public art connected to the club. In this episode, Tyson shares how the mural came to life, what Adam Goodes represented to him beyond football, and why storytelling through art can sometimes say more than words ever could. We talk creativity, meaning, identity, and the strange ways football clubs leave their mark on people, and (evidently) on actual walls. You can learn more about Apparition Media at https://www.apparitionmedia.com.au/ [https://www.apparitionmedia.com.au/] And follow their work on Insta right here [https://www.instagram.com/apparitionmedia/].

17: Jev at 100K Sports | $1 a Day on the Swans to Win the Flag

For a long time, being a Sydney Swans fan meant the same thing. You watched the game, yelled at the TV, argued with mates and carried the emotional scars into Monday morning. Not anymore. Jev, one of the voices behind 100K Sports and a passionate Sydney Swans supporter, represents a new generation of fan culture. One built on podcasts, player interviews, wild reactions, group chats, social media and the strange reality of living every moment of footy online. And of course, his passion for that world is just as high as his passion for the red and white too. In this episode, we unpack what it means to follow the Swans in the modern era, why younger fans experience the game differently, and how the modern media landscape fights to keep every scrap of the attention's audience daily.