SYDNEY'S AFLW side has based itself in Melbourne this week ahead of its home match against Hawthorn at the Swinburne Centre.

Planned before the men's side qualified for Saturday's Toyota AFL Grand Final – which the women's team will now attend in support of their clubmates – the week presents as a connection-building opportunity for the expansion side. 

"We've got a bit of travel throughout the season, being from Sydney, so last weekend we played in Adelaide and on Friday we're playing here (Melbourne). So we're using it as a team bonding opportunity," Sydney co-captain Lauren Szigeti told the Credit to the Girls podcast.

"We flew directly from Adelaide to Melbourne, and obviously a lot of us are from Melbourne, so we've been able to see family and friends. There's some team bonding too, staying at a hotel together all week in the lead-up to Friday. It makes it a bit easier for us not having to travel up to Sydney and then back for the game.

The Swans run out onto the field before their round two AFLW match against Collingwood at Victoria Park on September 4, 2022. Picture: Getty Images

"We've been lucky to train at Punt Road Oval, where we're playing on Friday night. Had a session there yesterday, which is good. Still with the nature of being part-time, there's the balance of having our own time and having our training day.

"Yesterday [Tuesday] was a big day, we had our game review, then we trained and then had an AFLPA meeting. So we just squished it into one day, so we can have our own time like we would in a normal week back home. And we'll have our captain's run on Thursday and play on Friday like we normally would. 

"It's worked out pretty well, we get to go to the Grand Final now and be there for the atmosphere. Me being from Melbourne, how exciting is Grand Final week, it was super exciting when we learnt earlier in the year that we were going to be here for the Grand Final, no matter who was playing, but now the Swans are in, how exciting."

EPISODE GUIDE

1:20 – Sydney's week in Melbourne

3:43 – Szigeti's football journey

6:45 – Getting overlooked in four drafts

8:37 – Co-captaining the Swans in her first AFLW season

11:25 – Sydney's first AFLW game

13:15 – Handling a week on the road

16:20 – Effort an issue in Port Adelaide loss