The 1996 Grand Final would see the Swans come up against North Melbourne. Sydney jumped them early, but the Kangaroos managed to get the game back on their terms and eventually claimed premiership glory. Over the coming years Sydney would feature regularly in finals, earning the respect of the competition. However, they wouldn’t go further than they did in ’96. Dominant forward Tony Lockett continued to draw big crowds and in 1999 he broke the record for the most goals kicked by an AFL player.