'They could be premiership favourites': Matthew Lloyd urges Swans to land top-line recruit
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has been incredibly impressed with Sydney over the last few months and believes they could be premiership favourites in 2026 - but only if they can land a key forward in the trade period.
The Swans picked up their best win of 2025 on Saturday, beating Brisbane at the Gabba. They've now won seven of their last nine games.
Sydney will miss the eight in their first season with coach Dean Cox, a far cry from last year's minor premiership and grand final run.
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Lloyd believes their strong run of form has come on the back of some key returns from injury, including Errol Gulden, Tom Papley and Callum Mills, who missed the first half of the year for the most part.
Sydney leaves the field after beating Brisbane. via Getty Images
"I've loved their last six or seven weeks since they've got their players back," Lloyd told Nine's Sunday Footy Show.
"They were all over the shop as a team defence. They couldn't defend the ground. That's helped as well since Callum Mills and a few others have been back."
Lloyd can see Sydney returning to premiership contention in 2026, if they can address their key forward depth.
Logan McDonald has missed the entire season with injury, while Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean haven't elevated to stardom.
While the Swans have been linked with Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Lloyd would rather see them go after Hawthorn big-man Mitch Lewis, particularly given the Hawks' depth at the position likely means someone will get squeezed out of the club.
"Damo (Damien Barrett) touched on Mitch Lewis a few weeks ago. It was the first time I'd heard his name raised potentially linked to the Swans," Lloyd said.
"They need to land a decent key forward. I'm not talking Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, I'm not interested in that, they need a genuine player like a Lewis.
"I don't think it's Logan McDoanld coming back. It's not Joel Amartey. It's not Hayden McLean. If they can land that big key forward that can stand up, well then they could be premiership favourites next year."
Lewis has recently returned to the Hawthorn side after rupturing his ACL.
Mitch Lewis of the Hawks celebrates kicking a goal. Getty
Sydney will likely be one of the more aggressive sides in this year's trade period. Nine's chief AFL reporter Tom Morris believes they have cash to burn.
"If this were a FIFA game, it would be 'all-out attack' (on the trade period)," Morris told WWOS in July.
"I think they've got some money to spend, but more importantly, they've got the ambition to go and get a tall forward or a key position player from somewhere.
"Who that is, I'm not sure, but they're certainly keen to do so, and they see that as an area they can improve and quickly rebound next year."
Sydney finishes the 2025 season with Geelong and West Coast. They host the Cats at the SCG in another chance to impact a team fighting for finals seeding.
