Swans legend Paul Kelly knows better than most about tough times at the AFL club and says they have to stay strong and stick together.
Kelly, who on Thursday was named vice-captain in NSW's greatest Australian rules team, played through the club's darkest era during their time in Sydney.
They won just 28 games in his first six seasons, finishing last from 1992-4 as they struggled to compete on the field and stay viable off it.
The Swans could this year miss the finals for the first time in 10 seasons as they languish in last place (1-6).
"We've just got to keep at it. The boys have got to stay strong and stick together and work through it," Kelly told AAP.
"Our better players look to be our older blokes. They are getting older but they can't give the output that they were giving.
"We've got a lot of younger fellows in there and, I don't know, are they good enough? Time will tell."
While some pundits worry about a potential decline in Swans crowds, they surely won't plummet to the depths they did during Kelly's time in which they recorded their nine all-time lowest SCG totals, all under 8000.
"I remember we had to buy a page in the paper to get some press out there, we had very little corporate support and sponsorship," Kelly said.
"Then we went through that to (coach Ron Barassi) turning up and playing in a grand final in 1996 and playing in finals every year after that bar one till I retired.
"I've seen the best and worst of it."
Kelly became one of the Swans' greatest, winning four club best and fairest awards, three All-Australian nods, and the players association most courageous award five times.
He captained Sydney in their grand final loss to North Melbourne in 1996, the start of the club's golden era in which they've made 20 of the past 23 final series, reached five grand finals and won two.
"The rules are set so that you can't stay at the top for too long, so we've been remarkable," Kelly said.
Share
