The Swan Districts Round 8 Wrap-Up

It was a weekend of mixed emotions for our Swan Districts teams. We had:

• A first win of the season,
• A loss to be knocked out of an elimination final,
• A win in a milestone game for a club champion, and
• A loss to take away the chance of playing finals.

We also saw Jim Dougan retire from his position as the man who has changed the numbers on the home scoreboard for the past 26 years.

Check out the breakdown of each game below…

WAFL Colts

This weekend’s game had a simple calculation for our Colts team… Win and stay in finals contention or lose and not be able to make it this season.

Josh Middleton started in what has become the usual for him of late, kicking the first goal of the game to get the Swans on the board in the opening minute. But that is where it would stop for the home side, with the Demons controlling the play throughout the quarter, converting three majors to take an early lead. A lack of aggression and not being proactive enough across the ground the key messaging at the first break.

A horror second quarter saw the visitors continue to control the game, adding an additional five goals to their tally, as the young Swans looked fumbley with ball in hand. A Luke Taylor soccer goal just before the half keeping them in it at the main break.

With a 38-point deficit to make up, the black and whites took back the control of the game in the third. Kaedyn McPartlan kicked truly to help lift his teams confidence early, with Middleton and Taylor each adding their second shortly after. Perth kicked one against the flow of the game to keep a buffer between them and the surging Swans, before Ayden Cartwright closed the gap to 16 with a snap in congestion, heading into the final term.

In an exciting fourth quarter, it was the Demons who struck first. Almost identical snaps from Jaxon Saylor and Cartwright saw the black ducks get within eight points of their opponent, as the pressure looked as though it was going to break Perth. Cartwright kicked his third to narrow the gap to just two points, before another behind saw them get within a single point with just 4 minutes left on the clock. With the ball parked deep inside the home teams 50m, they couldn’t rush it through to even the scores. Perth rebounded, taking it the length of the field to receive a free kick just before the final siren sounded, to see them take a seven point win, SD 9.11 [65] to PD 11.6 [72].

Zane Trew stood out once more with a team high 22 disposals and 9 tackles. Cian Ehlers (15 disposals & 5 inside 50’s), Jamison Ugle (9 tackles & 13 disposals) and Cartwright (3 goals & 18 disposals) were voted among the best.

WAFL Reserves

Heading into this game, the Swans Reserves side were the only team in the competition to have not won a game.

Perth were first to hit the scoreboard, a bomb from 50m sailing straight through the big sticks. A solid run up the wing from Seb Bright saw him get it over the back to Jack Allen to open the Swans account. A turnover in the middle of the ground saw the Demons capitalise on the mistake, before Bright tied the game up in traffic. The visitors finished the quarter strong, kicking three unanswered goals to take an 18-point lead into the first break.

The Swans came out strong in the second, Callum Garcia and Jack Cox closing the gap. Perth again finished strong, kicking the last couple of goals of the quarter to keep a 13-point lead at the half.

The black and whites intentions were obvious after the main break, increase tackle pressure and convert on the scoreboard. The higher intensity paid off early for the home side, Patrick Farrant getting his first for the day just 2 minutes into the quarter. Eric Bashemule converting not long after to see the Swans get within a point of their opponents, before Farrant kicked his second to put the Swans in front for the first time in the day. After all the efforts that the Swans had done to keep the ball in their attacking half of the ground, a late Perth goal just seconds before the siren saw them take the narrowest of leads into the final term.

The fourth quarter saw the lead change a number of times before the Swans kicked three goals in 10 minutes to take their first victory of 2020; SD 11.9 [75] to PD 9.8 [62].

Farrant, Bright and Jake Dugan were given best on ground honours.

WAFL League

Out of finals contention, the League side still had everything to play for with co-captain Matt Riggio playing his 200^th WAFL game. A win would also make it very hard for their Demons opponents to make finals.

The pressure and intensity was evident from the first bounce, requiring 4 ball ups to initially get it out of the centre square. The strong hands of Kohlmann on a strong lead saw the black ducks hit the scoreboard first. Finding himself back in the forward line after spending most of the year in defence, Tony Notte extended the lead, adding two goals in quick succession. Perth finished the quarter strong, kicking three goals, the home side taking a one point lead into quarter time.

It was an arm wrestle for the lead after the first break, the score regularly changing in each team’s favour. Just as the game looked as though it could go either way, it was the milestone man in Riggio who started a series of plays to see the home side kick away. Debutant Tom Edwards had his moment to shine in his first game in the seniors, receiving a free kick almost 50m out from goal, as the halftime siren sounded. Edwards struck the ball beautifully for his first league goal, giving his side a 22-point lead at the main break.

A scrappy third quarter saw neither side able to kick a major, just three goals separating the teams going into the final term.

Certain to not let a goalless term give the advantage to their opponents, as has been the way in many games this season, the Swans were unstoppable in the fourth. The highlight of the quarter coming from the 200 gamer after a strong mark and great kick sealed the win for the Swans, taking the game SD 11.9 [75] to PD 7.6 [48].

In an impressive defensive display, and in an exciting match-up between two of this seasons higher ranked players in the draft crop, Denver Grainger-Barras was voted best on ground after holding Logan McDonald possessionless in the last half. Jesse Turner and Corey Gault were voted as second and third best respectively. The Golden Grunt award could not be split among four players on the day, given to Frank Anderson, Sam Fisher, Gault and Riggio.

WAFLW Rogers Cup

Season concluded – finishing 7^th and seeing a number of girls debut in the League and Reserves sides.

WAFLW Reserves

Season concluded – finishing 5^th and had a number of girls debut in the League side.

WAFLW League

The Sharks chose to kick with the wind in the first quarter and the decision proved effective, kicking the only two goals of the opening term. The Swans had their chance up forward, but the wind was so strong against them that they couldn’t convert from distances they would usually slot them from.

As the second quarter began, the wind eased and the rain came down, with the slippery conditions making hard for either side to score. It was Mikayla Morrison who broke the drought for the black and whites, kicking a goal after catching her opponent holding the ball. With the ball locked in their forward half, the Swans couldn’t convert their efforts on the scoreboard.

As the rain continued to fall in the third, it was the Swans who took the advantage. Ash Sharp roved the pack deep in the forward 50m to dribble one through, giving the black and whites the lead for the first time in the game. A 100m penalty not long after put defender Lauren Osborne in the square for a rare goal for the defender. A kicking in danger call later in the quarter saw Mikayla Hyde given a free kick on the brink of her distance, in the wind with a slippery ball. Hyde slotted it to give her team a 15-point lead heading into the final term.

Having been held scoreless for two quarters, it was the Sharks that came out aggressive in the fourth, striking first to close the gap. The game took a temporary pause when an East Fremantle player was required to be stretchered off after a horrible sounding knee injury. A goal to the home side saw the Swans holding on to a narrow two-point lead before the Sharks hit the front with just 5 minutes to go. A scrappy encounter for the last few minutes saw the Swans unable to score in the last, being knocked out of the finals by last years Premiers; EF 5.5 [35] to SD 4.5 [29].

In a heartbreaking loss, it was hard to split the Swans best. Shanae Davison, Aimee Ralph, Sarah Wielstra, Mikayla Hyde and Brianna Hyde were voted the best.

Round 9

With only the men’s sides set to play this weekend, make sure you head to Fremantle to support them in their last games of the season.

Sunday 13^th September

Colts (Men’s)                     9am (New Choice Homes Park)

Reserves (Men’s)             11:30am (New Choice Homes Park)

League (Men’s)                 2:05pm (New Choice Homes Park)