It’s hard to imagine Fremantle fans cheering West Coast or Adelaide supporters adopting the Power in September, but that’s in essence what Kevin Sheedy has in mind for Friday night.

As inaugural coach of expansion club Greater Western Sydney, Sheedy has done plenty to build the burgeoning cross-city AFL rivalry.

Part of it was theatre, but part caused genuine resentment at the SCG.

When Sheedy last year wanted the derby to be called ‘the Battle of the Bridge’, Jude Bolton and Josh Kennedy were among the senior players to hit back sternly at the notion the Swans represented only the east side of town.

But Sheedy suggested the Swans are both enemies and friends for GWS. In September, it’s very much the latter.

“We’d really like Sydney to win. If you live in NSW and want to develop our game, you want Sydney in the grand final,” GWS board member Sheedy told AAP.

“Barrack for them on Friday night. Barrack for the Giants when we’re out there.

“We want the game to grow. We want the Swans up there and hopefully one day we’ll be able to play them in a grand final ourselves when we get good enough.”

The Giants had every reason to feel scorned when Lance Franklin resisted their overtures and instead joined Sydney on a nine-year deal worth $10 million.

But that has since subsided, with Sheedy happy to watch him promote the sport from further afar.

“Absolutely (it would be great for him to kick a bag in the preliminary final against North Melbourne). It’s good for footy up here, just like Tony Lockett, Barry Hall and Warwick Capper,” Sheedy said.

“We were keen to get Franklin and they got him. Now they’re one win away from a grand final, so at least we were on the money,” he added with a laugh.