The Ottawa Swans Football club returned from Montreal last weekend following a clean sweep at the AFL Quebec Pre-season Tournament. The Men’s A-Squad and Women’s team both finished the day undefeated, bringing home the cup for both the Men’s and Women’s competitions.
‘”It was a fantastic day for the club that highlighted our dedication, commitment, preparation, and professionalism in both our on-field and behind the scenes endeavors,” said Rod Frank, the Men’s Team Head Coach.
Despite low temperatures and grey skies, the Ottawa Swans arrived at the field ready for a big day of footy. The club fielded two men’s teams and a women’s team against competition from New York, Boston, Halifax and Montreal. Previously tournament champions, the Men’s sides were looking to bring the cup back to Ottawa. The women’s side made their tournament debut, quickly establishing themselves as a dominant force in women’s footy.
“Everyone put in the work and I'm proud of this team,” said Chris Lockhart, Women’s Head Coach. “Returning players stepped up, and the rookies playing their first games were extremely impressive.”
The day was loaded with fierce contests, big marks, strong tackles and lots of goal kicking. The Ottawa Swans have laid the foundation for a great 2013 season, but coaches and players alike recognize the importance of learning from their experiences.
“It's important that we analyze and assess our performance both statistically and individually as a team so that we can learn, grow and improve with each passing game,” said Frank.
“We have to remember that this is only the beginning,” added Lockhart. “Yes, it's a great start but we cannot let this big win get to our heads as we enter the regular OAFL season.”
The individual awards for the tournament were also a sweep by the Swans with Michael Kozlowski winning Tournament Best and Fairest for the men’s and Kirsten Bodashefsky for the women.
Coaches Awards were also presented to Nathan Strom (Men’s A-Squad), Alp Oran (Men’s B-Squad), and Kirsten Bodashefsky (Women’s) for their hard work on the day.
The Swans men face off against the Toronto Eagles and the women against the Etobicoke Kangaroos in Round 1 on Saturday, May 25th at Humber South.
CHEER, CHEER THE RED AND THE WHITE!
Last Modified on 11/06/2014 23:42