AFL LIVE: Papley, Gulden breathing fire as Swans keep the fairytale alive, Dockers stunned on the ropes

On Friday night at the SCG, Tania and Jamie Serong and their family will gather in the Fremantle rooms for a presentation in recognition of their son Caleb’s 150th game for the Dockers.

They’ll then head in separate directions.

While Tania takes her seat in the stands among the Fremantle friends and families’ section, her husband will make his way onto the hallowed turf of the SCG to be part of a guard of honour for Sydney’s players as they run onto the field.

If you think Matthew Pavlich, the Fremantle great turned Sydney chief executive, was conflicted, spare a thought for the Serongs, whose sons Caleb and Jai go head-to-head for a grand final berth.

Unlike just about everyone else in the sold-out crowd on Friday night, the Serongs can’t lose, no matter what the result is. But they can’t win either.

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In the AFL, Sydney Swans fans have an unwelcome and slightly justified reputation for frequently turning up late to their own party, often filing into the SCG ten minutes into the game.

Tonight there’s a different vibe in the air ahead of a preliminary final few believed was possible and there was a queue outside the Swans headquarters two hours before the start of the game, with fans wanting to cheer the players as they walked to the stadium.

I saw two of the heroes from the Swans’ 2005 Premiership walking to the ground deep in conversation, Jude Bolton and Brett Kirk.

Freo star Caleb Serong will face off with his brother Jai in tonight’s match and while their parents will have trouble trying to support both sides, the Dockers midfielder will be all business.

Caleb told media this week he will be chasing the win and not give his brother a second thought, at least until the match is decided.

Four words into a 15-minute interview, Charlie Curnow has already flipped the script.

“Are you a Swans man?”

He’s probably wondering why this random reporter is sitting in front of him ahead of the Swans’ preliminary final against Fremantle on Friday night at the SCG.

It’s a fair question from a Victorian living in Sydney. The kind you’d get over a beer at the pub.

G’day everyone. I’m Roy Ward and I’ll be tapping the keys tonight as the Swans and Fremantle play their preliminary final to decide who will progress to the grand final next week.