Round 1 of the 2014 AFLO finals saw both the men's and women's teams securing places in the semifinals.
The men were in a see-sawing battle at Humber South between the 1st placed Toronto Rebels. Come the final siren, the Swans were victorious. This win was the first Men’s finals victory in club history.
The quality of the defensive effort, the discipline and accountability, the commitment and focus, and the attention to detail were fantastic all day from the Swans. The Rebels were as strong as they have been all year, and almost re-asserted their control on the game in the 2nd quarter with some clean possessions and strong marks in the forward line. However, the Swans countered in the 3rd and 4th quarters, wearing out the Rebels and capitalizing on the scoreboard. The 4th quarter in particular was a stellar one for the Swans, keeping the football in their scoring half for the majority of the time while stifling any offensive attacks from the Rebels.
In what could be best described as the Swans' most complete team game of the season, it was hard to pinpoint outstanding players and efforts. Notable mentions though should go to Joel Crimmins in his defense of the Rebels' key-position player(s), Mike Kozlowski for some inspirational forward line efforts, and Nathan Strom for working tirelessly around the ground.
While the men came away with a big win, it was not the same for the Lady Swans. A win would have cemented them their first ever birth to the Grand Finals, however it was evident that the Hamilton Wildcats wanted it more. Despite being down after the first quarter and playing short, Hamilton never gave up and were consistently hard on the ball . They made the most of every opportunity. Highlights for the Swans included a string of marks originating from the backline which led to a goal in the 3rd quarter and the return of Holly Costanza to ruck. Luckily, the road to the Grand Finals is not over for the girls, there is just one more stop.
Both teams will be playing their semifinal matches against the Central Blues in Ottawa this Saturday. The women will kick it off at 1 pm, followed by the men. The winners will play in the Grand Finals next weekend in Toronto.
The Swans are looking forward to their games this weekend and wish the other remaining teams good luck in their matches.
Last Modified on 12/09/2014 02:43