Brave Swans Showing In Colts Grand Final

SWAN Districts colts produced a tremendous Grand Final showing at Optus Stadium on Sunday only to fall two points short to go down in heartbreaking fashion.

While Subiaco had been the standout team all season in the colts and had beaten Swan Districts all four times along the way including in the second semi-final, Swans produced a superb showing as the crowd built at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

Swans had all the momentum late in the game and were within less than a goal when Mitchell Bain kicked a superb late goal from just outside 50.

But Subiaco, as it has later admitted, rolled players behind the ball going against the guidelines for colts football and ultimately held on to win by two points despite the brave efforts from those in black-and-white.

It continued the winning on Grand Final day for Subiaco backing up the reserves premiership to start proceedings at Optus Stadium and leading into the league Grand Final with the Lions taking on West Perth.

Subiaco finished the colts season on top of the ladder and won straight through to the Grand Final beating Swan Districts in the second semi-final, but with both teams possessing a host of future AFL and WAFL talent, it was set to be a tremendous contest.

It certainly didn’t fail to deliver and Swan Districts clawed back within two points late in the contest with a goal from 50 to Mitchell Bain. But in a frantic finish, Subiaco was able to hold on and win 9.10 (64) to 9.8 (62).

Subiaco won its first colts premiership since 1989 under coach Beau Wardman with Tristan Hobley awarded the Mel Whinnen Medal for his best afield performance.

Hobley finished the Grand Final with 28 possessions and six marks.

He had plenty of teammates playing well on the big stage too including Nicholas Martin kicking three goals and Jack Mayo two.

Jake McKinnon was tremendous with 22 possessions and eight tackles with Luke Foley finishing with 22 touches, seven marks and six tackles.

Taj Schofield also had 19 disposals, Liam Hickmott 18, Wil Hickmott 18, Jacob Peletier 16, Mayo 15, Zane Shellabear-Healey 15, Kyle Stainsby 15 and Abraham Clinch 15.

Atem Deng, Patrick Farrant and Jarrod Cameron all kicked two goals apiece for Swan Districts.

Mitchell Bain picked up 24 possessions to go with eight tackles for Swans while Riley Garcia gathered 20 disposals, Deng 18, Jackson Beck 18, Seb Bright 17 and Farrant 14.

Subiaco entered the Grand Final as warm favourites after finishing as minor premiers and advancing to by beating Swan Districts in the second semi-final, and the Lions kicked the first goal thanks to Mitchell Georgiades.

Just over a minute later and Jake McKinnon kicked truly as well and the Lions had a fast start.

But Swan Districts hit back well before quarter-time with goals to Riley Garcia and Joe Hinder to just trail by three points at the first change.

Swan Districts then made it three consecutive goals in the game starting the second quarter with a goal to the exciting Jarrod Cameron to claim their first lead of the Grand Final.

But Subiaco responded with three goals in eight minutes with Jack Mayo getting the first and then Nicholas Martin adding two of his own to give the Lions a game-high 15-point advantage.

Swans were able to stay in touch at half-time, though, and only trail by nine points thanks to a late goal from Atem Deng.

Deng then added another early in the third quarter to put Swans in front by three points but Subiaco responded with Martin adding his third of the game and then Liam Hickmott kicked truly to make it a 12-point ball game.

The black-and-whites wouldn’t be going away, though, and Patrick Farrant kicked another shortly before three quarter-time to make it six-point game at the last change.

Farrant then added a second to start the last term to tie scores up before Swans took the advantage with Cameron nailing his second.

But Subiaco kicked two in the space of two minutes from Mayo and Nathan French for the Lions to lead by five points at the nine-minute mark.

It was a frantic next 14 minutes with neither team managing a goal but when Mitchell Bain drilled one from 50m out for Swans with two and-a-half minutes left, it was a two-point ball game and it was game on.

Then from the subsequent centre bounce, Swans were streaming forward and it was a smother from Taj Schofield that stopped that, and the Lions were able to hold on from there to win by two points.

SWAN DISTRICTS                             2.1          4.3          6.6          9.8          (62)

SUBIACO                                             2.4          5.6          7.6          9.10        (64)

SWAN DISTRICTS Goals: Cameron, Farrant, Deng 2; Bain, Hinder, Garcia.

Best: Bain, Deng, Garcia, Bright, Farrant, Beck.

SUBIACO Goals: Martin 3; Mayo 2; French, L Hickmott, McKinnon, Georgiades.

Best: Hobley, McKinnon, Foley, Martin, Schofield, L Hickmott, Mayo, W Hickmott.

MEL WHINNEN MEDAL: Tristan Hobley (Subiaco)