League 2023 Season Review

Everyone at Swan Districts will be hoping the challenges from the 2023 season and the positive signs shown will prove to be the stepping off period for a stretch of sustained success moving forward.

Andrew Pruyn took over from Adam Pickering as coach at Swans for 2023 and while he had his team playing well from Round 1, and got them into winning positions, five narrow losses in the first seven rounds ultimately cost them a shot at the finals.

Swan Districts was in winning positions against East Perth, East Fremantle, West Perth, Claremont and Subiaco inside the opening seven rounds, but lost those five games by a total of 18 points.

The luck turned for Swans and that included wins after the siren against Perth and West Coast with clutch goals from Jarrod Cameron and Tom Edwards, and they had a period of winning seven of nine matches.

However, they just fell short of finals and by losing the last two games of the season to the finals bound Claremont and Peel, they ended up with an 8-10 record but there's every reason to think they can continue to improve in Pruyn's second season in charge.

Swans ended up getting no games from Frank Anderson in 2023, six out of Seb Bright, four from Will Collins, four from Sam Fisher, seven from Brandon Erceg, nine from Greg Ottaviano, eight from Brad Lynch and 12 from Nathan Blakely.

Full seasons from each of those important players could have changed things but really for Swans it's about building on what they have now started in 2023, and topping up with some handy recruits to make that leap into finals.

For the second straight season it was Jesse Turner who was named the fairest and best winner at Swans as he continued his brilliant and consistent form on the wing.

He claimed the Swan Medal ahead of fellow midfielders Aidan Clarke and Jackson McLachlan, and having that trio locked in to return in 2024 is a significant starting point to build a midfield around.

Add in the ever reliable and consistent Josh Cipro along with new recruits Jye Chalcraft and Nik Rokahr, and already that midfield unit looks well and truly in order for Swan Districts in 2024.

The back-line stood up well in 2023 as well even without Erceg and Collins for the most part with Jarvis Pina, Tobe Watson, Tony Stephens and Nathan Ireland impressive.

The forward-line will be where the focus lies for Swans to try and find more avenues to goal, but there were exciting signs with some of the youth blooded in 2023 especially Lawson Humphries who seemingly got better every game he played.

What Tom Edwards did forward saw him become a breakout star of the league kicking 31 goals, but he does need more help and if Swans can find that in 2024, then finals should be a realistic goal to shoot for.

With the Swan Districts reserves team also winning a premiership in 2023 and a host of players ready to step up to be regular league players in 2024 from that team, and there's no shortage of reasons to be optimistic that Swans can build on this season in Pruyn's second season in charge.