Sydney coach John Longmire says one reason the Swans are always trying to win is due to the Harbour City’s competitive marketplace.
As the Swans battle with another AFL side, nine NRL franchises and teams from other professional sporting codes for eyeballs, they know winning helps them stay relevant.
You can see how important this has been to the Swans as the club has played finals in 18 of 23 seasons since the turn of the century as they refuse to bottom out and enter a rebuild.
While the club is also steadfast in giving their players the best chance of winning premierships each year, Longmire knows the marketplace plays into their thinking.
“It is the most competitive marketplace in the world as far as professional sporting teams,” Longmire told SEN Sportsday.
“There's just so much competition for talent, for membership, for marketing … it’s a very competitive market.
“We're always trying to win for a number of different reasons, as I said, first and foremost, to give our players the best chance (of winning premierships), but also because we understand how competitive this marketplace is.”
Another reason why Sydney wants to stay relevant is to help talented youngsters choose Aussie Rules over the likes of rugby league, rugby union, soccer and other sporting pursuits.
One athlete that Longmire is certain would have been an AFL superstar if he choose footy is Sydney Roosters back Joseph Suaalii.
After watching his son play state junior Aussie Rules with the Rooster, Longmire believes he would have made a great centre-half forward in the AFL.
“Kids have got choices at a younger age up here to be able to get into other sports and you're always competing against that,” Longmire explained.
“My son played with Joseph Suaalii who is an absolute superstar rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters up here.
“He played Aussie Rules with him in under-12 state footy for New South Wales.
“He was also a superstar rugby union player, and he has signed a new contract now to go back to the Wallabies, but I'd be convinced he'd be a superstar centre half forward (if he chose footy).
“He's a brilliant athlete, one of the best I've ever seen at his age coming through.
“He's played AFL at under 12, but then he's going to the rugby league and he played union at school and now he's going back to play for the Wallabies.
“So, you know those athletes are there, we’re just still sort of working through that to be able to try and get the best ones we can.”
While Suaalii didn’t choose an AFL pathway, that hasn’t hurt his hip pocket after he inked the richest contract signed in Australian rugby history.
Suaalii will earn a reported $5.35 million from 2025 to 2027 as he hopes to play a big part in Australia’s 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign on home soil.
