Struck with injury, the flu and work commitments, it was a light on Tamworth Swans unit that made the toughest trek in the TAFL in heading north to face the undefeated Inverell Saints. Varley Oval did it's best to welcome the visitors though, with the Sapphire City turning on a near perfect afternoon for football.
Keen to make the Saints work for any ball they would get, the Swans opened the match ferocious at the contested ball. The midfield, led by Damien Wendy and Gavin Knee, refused to concede any cheap possession, and a steadfast backline frustrated the Saints attack. The hosts piled on points but struggled to score a major until midway through the quarter, and struggled for some time add a second. Two goals followed late in the quarter, matched by a single point that hit the post in the Swans only scoring foray into attack, and the Saints appeared slightly fortunate to take a 33 point lead into quarter time.
The second quarter was much the same, with the Swans matching the Saints in the centre and at the contest but finding it tough to penetrate the attacking zone. Showing clear intent to find the football, the Swans hard work was often undone with poor disposals. The Saints on the other hand were much better in finding targets up forward, and kicked two goals to surge further ahead. Determined to maintain the contest, the Swans fought back to match the Saints next two major scores with goals of their own through Kyle Nicholls and Paul Tapper, but it was only just stemming the tide as the Saints took a commanding 49 point lead into the long break.
Entering the third quarter focused on taking it back to the Saints and getting themselves within striking distance, the Swans were met with a barrage from a rampaging Saints midfield. Dominating at the early clearance, the Saints piled on five quick goals to take the wind out of the Swans sails. The Swans regathered themselves to show some steel in the centre contest, and with the backline again showing their strong resolution put the brakes on the Saints charge and fought back to produce a goal of their own. Scoring through Andrew Donohue, Nathan Keam and a second to Kyle Nicholls, the Swans could not match the nine goal effort from the Saints, and were well out of the match with a 91 point deficit at three-quarter time.
Called on to finish the match off, the Swans entered the final quarter with a brave determination and were again unrelenting when the ball was in dispute. Getting plenty of the tough ball, the Swans struggled to use it to effect, and the Saints had little trouble as they looked to run over their tiring opponents. Finding run from the back, the Swans took the issue to the Saints, with goal sneek Andrew Donohue rewarded with his second, but the tough effort told late and the Swans struggled to go with the Saints late. The Swans backline showed plenty late, doing well in the circumstances to hold the Saints to just six goals, but the damage was well and truly done, with the hosts taking the match by 125 points.
Rick Watt was, understandably, disappointed with some aspects of his team's performance, but was proud of their effort in contested possessions. "I could not fault our endeavour at the ball today," he said after the match. "We just didn't use the ball as well as we can."
Dean Finlay, in his element at a tough contested ball, was the best for the Swans. Mark Verrall's outstanding game at fullback saw him named as the Player's Player. The Green Ant, thought to have been locked in by Kyle Nicholl's after match antics the week before, was stolen in the fourth quarter by the wrong-way-playing-on-after-a-mark Nathan Keam.
The next match for the Tamworth Swans, on the road again to Muswellbrook, looms as a vital one in the context of the red and white season.
FINAL RESULTS
SAINTS: 4.9 (33) 8.14 (62) 17.20 (122) 23.25 (163)
SWANS: 0.1 (1) 2.1 (13) 5.1 (31) 6.2 (38)
GOALS:
SAINTS: Michael Gould (7); Nick Baird (6); Toby Tollis (3); Gary Hadland (2); Hamish Bird, Peter Dunlop, Joseph Kimmince, Keiran Te Velde, Christopher Vidovic (1).
SWANS: Andrew Donohue, Kyle Nicholls (2); Nathan Keam, Paul Tapper (1).
BEST:
SAINTS: Leigh Turner, Keiran Te Velde, Joseph Kimmince, Michael Gould, Toby Tollis, Thomas Williams.
SWANS: Dean Finlay, Phil Hennessy, Andrew Donohue, Mark Verrall, Josh McKenzie, Damien Wendt, Gavin Knee.
Last Modified on 07/05/2012 13:10