WHEN Tony Lockett launched a bomb from outside 50, the SCG erupted.
The bullocking full-forward had just kicked Sydney into the 1996 Grand Final as the Swans beat Essendon by a point in the preliminary final.
"I thought it was a goal," former Swans chairman Richard Colless says. "Not that it mattered."
Gerard Healy – the 1988 Brownlow medallist and three-time Swans best and fairest – was calling the game for Channel 7.
"The big barrel chest came through and I thought to myself, 'Here comes the big fella'," Healy recalls. "Sure enough, he didn't even need to kick a goal. It was the most famous behind ever kicked on that ground. It was just a euphoric moment. It was amazing, really."
Fans flooded onto the SCG, desperate to get within earshot of their hero.
"You talk about (pitch) invasions. The first invasion, I think, was the preliminary final of 1996," Colless laughs.
"The place just went nuts. The players were heaped on each other like they were in under 14s."
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The Lockett point is as fabled as they come.
Yet, as Sydney Swans historian Barb Cullen points out, there's another player who seldom earns the credit he deserves.
"The one thing that people always remember is Tony Lockett's behind after the siren," Cullen begins.
"But about one minute and a half before the end of the game, Daryn Cresswell kicked a goal, which brought the Swans level with Essendon. People forget that if Daryn hadn't kicked that goal, Plugger's point wouldn't have meant anything."
A crowd of 41,731 descended on the SCG to witness Sydney's most important match since the club relocated from South Melbourne in 1982.
It had been a tough slog. From 1992 to 1994, the Swans claimed the wooden spoon. At one stage, the club endured a staggering 26 losses in a row.
This one-point preliminary final win didn't necessarily justify the move to the Harbour City, but it did indicate a turning point. It would lead to the club's first Grand Final appearance since 1945.
"It was just such a momentous occasion for the club and the AFL in Sydney in many respects," Healy says. "The whole journey was going to be considered a success if, and when, the Swans won a flag. And to win a flag you obviously have to get into the Grand Final. Getting to a Grand Final was a major step.
"Unfortunately, they couldn't get the job done the next week. But – to that stage – it was certainly the most famous victory for the Sydney Swans on that ground. It could well be the most famous victory the Swans have ever had on that ground."
Colless all but echoes those sentiments. North Melbourne was too strong in the Grand Final, winning by 43 points.
"Losing the Grand Final was disappointing but not devastating. We were almost in a state of shock, knowing that we were playing in a Grand Final," Colless says.
"All of this pain our predecessors had to absorb was kind of worth it.
"It was the start of the modern era of the Swans where we've been close to the most consistent team in the competition. We'd almost – overnight – shaken that loser tag."
When Sydney meets Collingwood on Saturday at the SCG, a record crowd is expected for what will be the first preliminary final at the venue since 1996.
The Swans, of course, have made it to the final four since then, but home preliminary finals were staged at Homebush as part of a former agreement.
"It's great to be able to have the opportunity to play here on our home deck in front of our home crowd," Sydney coach John Longmire said earlier this week.
"It's really important to have our supporters come along and enjoy the moment.
"But my experience tells me no matter where you play – Perth, Adelaide, Tasmania, Melbourne, here – there are some fundamentals that need to get done.
"And that'll be the same again on Saturday."
Lockett was one of the protagonists back in 1996. Now, it's Lance Franklin who has captured the imagination of the Sydney public.
The scenes of fans flocking to Buddy after booting his 1000th AFL goal against Geelong in March all but topped the post-siren scenes from '96.
"There is something breathtaking about key forwards," Colless says, while offering up Warwick Capper and Barry Hall as other significant contributors.
"You bring them on board because you hope they can win you premierships."
Twice, Franklin has been instrumental in helping the Swans to a Grand Final. Twice, Sydney has fallen short.
Now a 35-year-old who is out of contract, there is less reliance on the superstar forward.
"They've got just as good a chance as anyone," Healy says.
"They've got such an array of diverse talent. It's a very even team, unlike that '96 team which had half a dozen of superstars in it. This one's much more even across the board."
