Errol Gulden has always believed in the enduring power of connections at the Sydney Swans. In the third quarter of the qualifying final win against Brisbane, he exchanged handballs with childhood friend Braeden Campbell before kicking one of the best goals of his career.
He then looked up and saw two familiar faces cheering at the SCG. Swans 2005 Premiership captain Barry Hall was next to his close friend, Gulden’s father, Ibo. Seeing the two together took Gulden back to his childhood.
“It was really special having him [Hall] there [at the Brisbane game]. He was a very close friend of my Dad, and Barry is a huge part of this football club after what he and the team did in 2005,” Gulden said.
“To have him there for the game sitting beside Dad, all these years later, that’s the beauty of this football club and the connection it still brings out.
“I remember at three or four years old Barry [Hall] taking me to drag racing at Eastern Creek, and at that age those Swans players were gods to me.
“Dad and Barry had a really good friendship. Dad had a few different catering businesses across the city, and I really looked up to so many of those bloods: Leo Barry, Barry and Kirky [Brett Kirk].
“To be playing now for this football club and having him there to support me with my Dad [Ibo] beside him at the SCG was special.”
Gulden is arguably playing the best football of his career after recovering from a shoulder injury in round one of the home-and-away season.
In his last three games, he has averaged 41 disposals per outing. Most impressively, he stepped up for the Swans in their qualifying final win, a victory achieved without suspended players Issac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon.
Gulden’s first love was soccer, and it remains a passion he shares with Ibo, who was a talented player in his native Turkey – Gulden still juggles a soccer ball before training sessions and games.
The enduring passion for AFL came from his mother Bronwyn, a native of Bridgewater in central Victoria who went on to become assistant coach of the Swans’ AFLW program.
For Gulden, the Swans’ culture is simple. It’s about sacrificing yourself for the good of the team.
“The Bloods culture and football to me means sacrifice, work rate and being there for your teammate throughout the game,” Gulden said.
“Finals football isn’t necessarily beautiful handball chains; a lot of the time, it’s being able to keep driving effort after effort for your mates.”
Gulden understands that due to his skill set, every time he takes to the field, he will receive extra attention from opponents. But that attention never bothers him; if anything, he welcomes it. He knows the opposition is freeing up space for other Swans to shine around him.
“I think you’ve got to take it as a compliment [getting tagged], but we have a lot of talented people around me too,” Gulden said,
“When I play, I’m never really thinking about personal statistics, like goals or disposals; I’m thinking about far more simple things, like keeping my eyes up at stoppages and being connected to my teammates, that’s really what I value…
“It’s never just about one individual player; it can’t be. I will just continue to do my job the best way I can.”
Gulden wants to eventually captain the Swans. But for the moment, he’s content to learn from others, including stand-in skipper Dane Rampe ahead of facing Fremantle on Friday night with a spot in the grand final going to the winner.
At 24, Gulden is already reaching lofty peaks in his playing career that few predicted when he was taken by the Swans with the 32nd pick in the 2020 draft. He is focused on developing off the field as a leader to become a better teammate.
“You evolve as a leader. I remember coming into the club when I was just drafted, and you’re at the bottom, and you’re just learning,” Gulden said.
“Now, I want to be the best leader I can be on and off the field, so that shows up in my actions. How I speak to someone, the difficult things like giving direct feedback.
“I’ve learned from so many great leaders in the football club, Cal [Mills], but also my coaches in Coxy and Horse [John Longmire] before them. They have all shaped the leader I want to try to be.”
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