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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Seven years ago, Perth-raised Chad Warner nervously waited to get drafted into the AFL. He knew it was down to two clubs: the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was pretty cool to be of interest to either team, but I\u2019m very happy that the Swans jumped in and I think I\u2019m at the right place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day before the draft, my manager said that he thought the two frontrunners were both Sydney teams.<\/p>\n \u201cI literally just wanted a contract wherever it was. It was probably a bit of a surprise hearing the two Sydney teams were interested.\u201d<\/p>\n Two years ago, Warner signed a contract extension to keep him at the Swans until the end of 2027. The 25-year-old has been open about the pull of returning to Perth, but has built strong roots in the harbour city and is a key part of the Swans\u2019 push towards a flag, which continues against GWS in Saturday\u2019s 33rd Sydney derby.<\/p>\n The Swans are second on the ladder, but have lost three of their past four games. Warner has been a bright spot in Sydney\u2019s recent lull, moving principally to the midfield after round 12, having spent time in the forward pocket earlier in the season. The move has helped him unlock some strong individual form for a Swans\u2019 team desperate for a win.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like, probably over the last couple of months, I\u2019ve been playing some pretty solid, consistent footy,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been focusing more on trying to get first possession from clearances, centre bounces and stoppage clearances. I think I\u2019ve been able to contribute a bit more there, which is great.<\/p>\n \u201cTackling and contested footy are things you can control a bit more than kicking goals, so it\u2019s more of a focus point to come back to.<\/p>\n \u201cI chatted with the coaches about me playing more stoppages and more midfield time to help Isaac [Heeney] out a bit, because he was probably doing the brunt of the clearance work \u2013 it\u2019s about giving him a bit of a chop out [break] if he\u2019s getting tired.\u201d<\/p>\n Heeney will need all the help he can get after nursing a sore back against Adelaide, but is expected to play against the Giants. Warner is also aware of the dangers the inconsistent GWS pose on Saturday at Sydney Olympic Park, despite their recent shock loss to Essendon.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the top-of-the-table clashes and the big games, they [the Giants] really get themselves up for them,\u201d Warner said. \u201cThey\u2019ve beaten Brisbane, Hawthorn and Fremantle, so they\u2019ve beaten all the top teams, which shows their calibre and capability.\u201d<\/p>\n Off the field, Warner finally feels at home in Sydney after initially struggling to adjust to life outside Perth.<\/p>\n Succeeding in football has always come naturally, but a new home in Paddington and working in investment management one day a week have helped Warner feel more at home.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The midfielder doesn\u2019t believe the pre-draft teenage Warner would believe what has happened to him.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the age of 18, I genuinely would have thought it was a totally different person [looking at himself now], I would have thought he was absolutely joking,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t care less about investing then, I was much more of a hands-on, labourer-type worker.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving in Paddington is probably something I never thought I\u2019d do either. I thought I\u2019d be on a [rural] property somewhere …<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re an 18-year-old over in Perth wanting to get drafted and play AFL, all you\u2019re thinking about is kicking the ball and playing AFL.\u201d<\/p>\n Cox and Swans ready for \u2018spiteful\u2019 Sydney derby<\/p>\n Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox believes that despite the gap between his side and the Giants on the AFL ladder, the teams will deliver a typically \u201cspiteful\u201d game of football in Saturday\u2019s derby.<\/p>\n The Swans are second on the ladder despite two losses in three games, while the Giants are just outside a finals spot in 11th after losing to Essendon in Melbourne on Sunday.<\/p>\n Cox is aware of the Giants\u2019 ability to spring surprises this season, including victories over premiership contenders Fremantle, Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they [Sydney derbies] are always quite intense; I think no matter where the sides are on the ladder, or the form that they do come in with, this is a very spiteful, intense game of football,\u201d Cox said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always great to take on the crosstown rivals. One thing we\u2019re preparing our group for is what they\u2019ve done against the best football teams, and that\u2019s where our mind space needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Cox has demanded a stronger four-quarter effort from his team, after falling away late in the game in losses to Adelaide and Fremantle.<\/p>\n \u201cFor periods, we\u2019ve been really good in it [the fourth quarter],\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole part about it is consistency and how often can we do it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the times come, we\u2019ve certainly had last quarters or periods in games against the best teams where we\u2019ve actually stood out in that area. It\u2019s just about trying to make sure that we can do it as well as we can for as long as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Cox also said he wants the team to be collectively responsible for reacting when momentum changes during games.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s the leadership group, the emerging leaders that we have, everyone that\u2019s out on the field at that particular time has to take the moment when it\u2019s there,\u201d Cox said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve let ourselves down at times in that period, but as I mentioned before, we\u2019ve also had some players that have really risen to the occasion and got our team over the line.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Sydney](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/9c74a6d44ecb2c9d3b1f21bdb856276ebcd5d791.jpeg\")
Sydney Swan Chad Warner has found a new side to the city he has called home for seven years.Rhett Wyman<\/p>\n![\"Chad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/441750f0822e6c51876564ba69de645a61a5466d.jpeg\")
Chad Warner has been a bright spot for a disappointing Swans team recently.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Isaac](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784888774_738_d89cc6dd66b70436ccbd6cda5ea726605986c0eb.jpeg\")
Isaac Heeney is expected to play against the Giants on Saturday despite nursing a sore back.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Sydney](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c594afb6207ef173a0fe1f1ca669a1a6142e1466.gif\")
Sydney derbies have been known to get physical in the past.Channel Seven<\/p>\n
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