I'm in love.  She's not conventionally beautiful.  In recent years some pretty important people have called her ‘unattractive' and ‘ugly'.  Admittedly it took me some time to appreciate her true beauty.  But now that I do, there is no going back.  I love her for her reliability and her resilience.  I know that she'll never break my heart.  There's only one problem: I have already professed my love for another.

Sydney's one-point loss to Essendon on Saturday night was my favourite match of the season.  There were three reasons.  1) The match possessed a sublime balance between fluent attack and staunch defence.  2) Neither substitute (Malceski or Ross) was able to impart any impact on the contest because it was played at such a frenetic speed.  3) Throughout the match it was impossible to predict what was going to happen next.

In spite of Essendon's gallant efforts, I spent the majority of the evening marvelling at the Sydney Swans.  I love what they stand for.  I love what they deal up, week after week, even in defeat.  I can barely remember a game since Paul Roos took over as coach late in 2002 when the Swans have disappointed me.  There are a handful of Sydney players who I admire and love watching. 

I love Josh Kennedy.  The former Hawthorn midfielder has become my favourite player in the competition.  He is tall, tough, elusive and ruthless at stoppages.  Best of all, Kennedy plays his most dominant football when the going gets tough.  Last year he won the Paul Roos Award for being the Swans' best player in the finals series.

I love Dan Hannebery.  On Saturday night he ran back with the flight of the ball and was cannoned into by Michael Hurley.  It was reminiscent of the incident in 2006 which cost Geelong's Tom Lonergan a kidney, 17 kilograms and four days in an induced coma.  Hannebery was back on the field within five minutes, sporting a shiner and recklessly hurling himself at the football.

I love Kieren Jack.  He is a self-made footballer.  Jack is the Swans' most ferocious tackler.  While he is principally a tagger, he has learnt how to win the ball in his own right and hurt the opposition on the scoreboard.  Last year he won the Swans' best and fairest.  If the NRL wants to extract revenge for the defections of Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau, they ought to look no further than the son of league legend Garry Jack.

I love Jude Bolton.  He isn't particularly quick or skilled, which are arguably the two most important qualities in the modern game.  Bolton also lacks the athleticism of some of his more revered teammates.  But he's got ‘bottle'.  There are few players in the league who have played as consistently well as Bolton over the past decade.

I love Adam Goodes.  He was in everything on Saturday night.  In the second quarter he kicked the goal of the night (with apologies to Ben McGlynn).  Goodes toe-poked the ball away from a central stoppage, gathered it, burst away from an opponent and goaled on the run.  He is 194 centimetres tall and 31 years old.  Even a 20-year-old with his physique would have no right to execute such a daring manoeuvre.  Goodes is the only player in the competition capable of playing in any position on the field.

I am fast falling for Sam Reid.  It was riveting watching Reid's duel with Jake Carlisle on the weekend.  Both players possess immense natural talent.  Both took some spectacular one-grab marks in the first half and made some catastrophic mistakes.  Most of all, I enjoyed the rawness of their contest.

There are plenty of other Swans I might grow to love in the coming years.  Shane Mumford, Lewis Jetta and Gary Rohan have all captured my eye.  There is little doubt that these three players will be at the forefront of the Swans' next premiership assault.  Nick Smith - the nuggetty back pocket -   is the archetypal Bloods player.  At a pinch he might be mistaken for the reincarnation of Brett Kirk.

Despite the fact that only six players from the Swans' 2005 premiership side remain at the club, they continue to play the Roos/Kirk way.  The true champions of the game forge a dynasty - a mighty ethos - which outlives their finite tenure.  The smoothness of the transition from Roos to Longmire is a credit to the club.  It shows how a succession plan ought to be executed.

I love the Sydney Swans and I feel damn tempted.  Perhaps it's because my two previous loves have caused me such misery?  Ah, I know what JFK was thinking when he wrapped himself in Marilyn Monroe's negligee.  This has all the makings of an enchanting mistress.