Tamworth Swans v New England Nomads
Number One Oval, Tamworth
10th April 2010
After a week of rain, the sun came out to greet the Tamworth Swans as they hosted the New England Nomads in the first round of the 2010 Country Energy Tamworth Australian Football League. The dead track, coupled with a light breeze on a warm day presented magnificent football conditions as the Swans set about defending their Premiership and the Nomads atoning for missing last year's finals series.
After a spirited start to the game, as both teams fought hard for the ball from the centre and struggled for a time for clear possession, it was the Swans who took command of the contest. Working hard in the midfield, the Swans were dominant in the centre clearances and capitalised on this gluttony of possession as their imposing forward line piled on eight goals for the quarter. Late in the quarter the Nomads caught the Swans defence napping from a free kick to post a major score, but it was footballing lesson for the visitors in the first period, trailing by 51 points at the end of the quarter.
The Swans have the advantage of the breeze in the second period, and commenced where they had left off, running out of the centre and driving the ball inside fifty. Some wayward shots at goal provided the Nomads with some mercy, and they were able to provide some response as the early season fitness started to tell and the match opened up. Kicking six goals to the Nomads two, the Swans extended their lead to 74 at the long break.
Emerging from the half-time huddle a little flat, the Swans met a newly determined Nomads outfit who appeared to have refused to concede the issue. Raising their efforts at the stoppages, the Nomads forwards were provided with quality service that they had been starved of to that point, and responded with four straight majors to open the quarter. Swimming against the tide for the first time in the match, the Swans worked hard to the contests to respond but struggled for rhythm throughout a quarter that was clearly won by the Nomads. Regardless, the Swans appeared to have done enough in a tough third period to put the matter beyond the visitor's reach, taking a 57 point lead into the final quarter.
The last period saw the Nomads determined to run the match out, throwing themselves at the ball and running hard across the ground. A resilient Swans backline repelled much of these offensive charges, and as the quarter dragged on it saw both teams carry tired legs to the contest and struggle for clean possession. Kicking three goals to two, the Swans last quarter effort was enough to hold their earlier advantage, and they ran out convincing 68 point winners in a match that was really put to bed at half-time.
New Swans coach Gary Harriott was happy to get off to a winning start in 2010. "I couldn't really fault our performance in the first quarter, it was a really good effort," he said after the match. "There are some things that we need to work on iin that second half, but at this stage of the year it was a good effort."
Many of the Swans first gamers impressed, with Nathan Keam and Will Priest goaling in their first match. Priest was named the Player's Player. Lachlan Rowling was named the best for the Swans. The coach's award went to Simon Freer. Andrew Donohue was given the green ant for his on-field renditions of 'The Stomp'.
FINAL RESULTS
SWANS: 8.3 (59) 14.10 (94) 17.11 (113) 20.17 (137)
NOMADS: 1.2 (8) 3.2 (20) 9.2 (56) 11.3 (69)
GOALS:
SWANS: J. Darcy, G. Knee (4); S. Freer (3); J. Cutmore, M. Firth, D. Hoy (2); N. Keam, W. Priest, L. Rowling (1).
NOMADS: M. Bourke (3); R. Crump, W. Whitby (2); C. Ballagh, C. Dobos, P. Tobias, J, Wright (1).
BEST:
SWANS: L. Rowling, T. Brown, A. Donohue, J. Doughty, W. Priest, J. Jackomos.
NOMADS: O. Temoso, G. Nelson, M. Maxwell, W. Whitby, B. Page, G. Wagstaff.
Last Modified on 18/04/2010 21:03