These two sides have met on 192 occasions with Essendon having won 119 of those matches. Sydney (South Melbourne) has won 72 matches and only one match has been tied. The drawn match came in round six of the 1996 season at the SCG. Of the two sides 14 meetings in the 90s, Essendon has won 10, Sydney three and one has been tied. Essendon has played Sydney 15 times at the SCG and has won five of those matches.

The highest score Essendon has kicked against the Swans was in round 18, 1964 at Windy Hill when the Bombers slammed on 28.16 (184). Essendon also scored its biggest win over the Swans that day, winning by 165 points. The lowest score an Essendon side has recorded against Sydney was in round eight of the 1900 season when the Bombers could manage just 1.4 (10).

The highest score the Swans have scored against Essendon came in round 17, 1987 at the MCG when Sydney put together a massive 36.20 (236). Once again that result gave the Swans their biggest winning margin over Essendon - 163 points. The Swans lowest score against Essendon came before the turn of the century when in round three of the 1899 season it managed just nine behinds.

In terms of the most goals kicked in a match. Matthew Lloyd broke John Coleman's club record against Sydney of 11 goals when he threaded through 13 majors in round three this year. Coleman kicked 11 goals on two occasions (1950 and 1953). Bob Pratt holds the record for the most goals for a Swans player against Essendon. Pratt kicked 15 goals in round three of the 1934 season at Lake Oval.

Both clubs have put together significant winning sequences since they first met. On two occasions the Bombers have strung together nine on end (1959-64 and 1971-75). Sydney put together eight successive wins over Essendon between 1915 and 1920.