Shaking Down the Thunder: Inside the Sydney Swans' rise to a drought-breaking AFL premiership
Bloods culture.
We've heard about it, seen it on the footy field, but apart from the lucky ones to play for the Sydney Swans — it's a mystical force.
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As former Swans chairman Richard Colless tells us, 'It's a bit like a Masonic lodge … with initiations.'
These days, it's revered, envied and imitated throughout sport and business.
'The Bloods' become an open door in the documentary, Shaking Down the Thunder.
The first episode, Ugly Ducklings, begins the revelation of untold, inner-sanctum secrets into the Swans' rise to breaking the AFL's longest premiership drought in 2005.
Diehard fans know the story.
Born in 1874, down-and-out, removed from South Melbourne into rugby league-mad Sydney, the battle through the '80s, near-miss in '96 and constant fight for relevance. 'An AFL afterthought.'
'No one wanted to play for 'em, myself included,' club legend Michael O'Loughlin says.
The Bloods became Sydney blood – the Swans – the biggest club in the city – thanks to Goodes, O'Loughlin, Bolton, Hall, Barry, Davis, Kennelly, Roos etc – all sharing their stories here.
There's the players' disdain, late in Rodney Eade's reign as coach.
The near-miss at securing Paul Roos to take over.
The piece of butcher paper still surviving from a pre-season camp in 2003, spelling out the reborn meaning of 'Bloods Culture' … and Jude Bolton's word-for-word recital of it to this day.
The great revelation here, that only insiders knew before, comes from Adam Goodes and his teammates' rejection in the original vote for Roos' revolutionary leadership group.
A furious Goodes confronted his coach and took advice that changed footy — and Australian history.
'Leaders need to use their voice to challenge and support others.'
Goodes won the Brownlow that year. Australian of the Year came later.
The Ugly Ducklings became the premiership Swans.
20 years on, Shaking Down the Thunder shares the heart and soul of a footy team that changed the game and needs celebration.
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