3 minute read

The Sydney Swans three interstate recruits barely had time to get used to the Harbour City and celebrate a first-round win before hitting the road again.

They came from three different states late last year to join the Sydney Swans, now Lewis Taylor, Sam Gray and Kaiden Brand are waiting for the call to return to the Harbour City.

Forward Gray moved across from Port Adelaide, midfielder-forward Taylor joined from Brisbane and key defender Brand switched from Hawthorn.

The trio played in the Swans opening round away win over Adelaide before the coronavirus pandemic caused the competition to be suspended.

Brand and Gray were both returning to their home state and in the latter's case, his old home ground.

But instead of the frenzied atmosphere of a South Australian derby, Gray found himself playing in front of an empty Adelaide Oval, as the Swans withstood a late Crows rally to win by three points.

"No crowd probably helped us a bit because the Adelaide crowd is a bit hostile at times," Gray told AAP.

"It was strange circumstances without the crowd not there," Brand agreed.

"But the first game and the first win is always a special one and I'm sure me and Sammy and Lewie will be pretty happy with that."

A day after the game the decision was made to mothball the season.

The vast majority of the Swans list is from interstate and with no likelihood of a quick resumption of play the trio opted to return home.

"It's disappointing, we've only really just settled in (Sydney) properly when we've had to move again," Brand said.

"I originally planned to go back home to South Australia but the quarantine rules wouldn't have let me through.

"So I chose to come back to my girlfriend's family's farm in country Victoria.

"I've been using the local footy oval for my running and fitness stuff, I've built a little makeshift gym set-up out in a shed and I've been helping out here down on the farm.

"The cows here were calving when I arrived so that's been keeping us pretty busy," Brand said.

Gray returned to Adelaide and Taylor drove almost 11 hours to Mortlake in Victoria

"I'm a part-time teacher at the moment, I've got my little step brother to look after," Taylor said.

"All of his class work is online now so I'm helping him get through that.

"I'm also getting into project management, which is going to be my after footy thing."

Gray is also looking at what he might do once his football career ends.

"Before I was drafted I was an apprentice carpenter," he said.

"That's something I'm looking forward to getting back into a bit."