Summarized below is the footy action from the past two weeks.
August 15th, 2015
Both Swan teams were in action at home on August 15th. The ladies played the third of three games against the Montreal Angels and the men faced the Wildcats, up from Hamilton.
Even though the Lady Swans had won the last two games against the Montreal Angels, either team could have been victorious in this third and final round. While this series was designed to provide the women an opportunity to play full-field, 18 aside, both sides struggled for numbers this round. Even with the depleted squads (injuries and wedding planning…congratulations Margo and Ronan) the match was exciting and close. The Swans were looking to make it three for three, and the Angels were out for redemption.
In the end the Swans were able to sweep, just barley. The red and white end up winning by 4 points. Swans 7.5.47 to Angles 6.7.43. On such a hot day, with no interchange every player deserves to be listed in the highlights.
Round 11 of the AFLO men’s league saw the Swans take on the Hamilton Wildcats. The Swans took full advantage of the undermanned Wildcats and got 7 goals in the first quarter, followed by 6 in the second. Try as they might the Wildcats were unable to make a game of this match. The Swans dominated, which was evident from the final score, Swans 23.23.161 to Wildcats 3.3.21.
Having the lead, provided the men a chance to work on the smaller aspects of the game. These seemingly minor things, beautiful shepherds (Drew Wilson) and textbook tackles (Justin Papp) make all the difference in a game. Also of note in this game was the number of players on goal sheet. The depth of the Swans goal kicking ability was highlighted this round. Let’s hope this stays true in post- season play.
August 22nd, 2015
The last double header, home game did not disappoint. First up were the ladies, who played their rescheduled June 20th game. This game saw the Carleton Warriors against the Rideau Shamrocks. While this may seem like déjà vu, it was anything but. These two team met just 2 week prior, when the Warriors dominated. This was not the case this time. Women from the Toronto Central Blues augmented both teams.
At half the Shamrocks were leading, due to in part Lauren Stoots ability to find open space. The Shamrocks were able to feed her the ball on my occasions which created many opportunities. Once Acting Warrior Coach, Charles Bernard made Dora Bartulovic aware of this, those chances where fewer, which allowed the Warriors to take control of the game at a critical time. In the end the Warriors were able to win and in doing so topped the AFLQ Women’s Division leaderboard, going into the final final round Sunday August 30th in Montreal. Warriors 5.5.35 to Shamrocks 3.9.27
In the last round of the AFLO Men’s Division 1 regular season the Swans needed to win by a lot to secure a home game in the first round of the finals. They did just that, beating the Central Blues by a whopping 162 points. Swans 28.13.181 to Blues 3.1.19.
As with any high scoring game many players get their name on the goal sheet, in the case of Matthew Powell 8 times, but the Round 12 highlight player was Alex Huard. He had an outstanding display in the ruck, got the Swans moving forward from the first jump and the domination never halted until the final siren. He also had what Coach Rod coined “one of the best goals kicked this year by a Swan”.
The Swans' goal for the day was to show dominance for four quarters of football, and they lived up to that. Also on display was excellent communication at ground level. Every Swans player worked hard to win possession and the turnover rate was the low. It was a first class display of footy, and a perfect way to cap off the regular season.
Next up, the Men take on the Broadview Hawks in the first round of the finals. The winner moves on and the other is done for 2015. Game will be in Ottawa at the Manotick Polo Club (1600 Bankfield Road) Saturday August 29th. Come cheer on the team!
Last Modified on 28/08/2015 08:54