Flags and grand final victories are not a thing given lightly.
For much of the history of the league, the Swans of South Melbourne had propped up the bottom rungs of the ladder. Despite greats like Bob Skilton filtering through the club, the Swans spent the five decades after their loss in the 1945 "Bloodbath" grand final without so much as a finals win to their name.
To fans under the age of 35, that's a little hard to comprehend. Since their appearance in the 1996 grand final, the Swans have missed the finals just five times. They have become a constant in September, just like the rising temperatures.
