With the senior squad leaving earlier in the week to head over to Perth, we were able to train more as a reserves team towards the end of the week and were able to focus on some of the areas that we thought we needed to work on. With school holidays upon us, it also meant that some of the Academy boys were also able to join us and learn more about how we play. We had a good, energetic session on Friday, which was a great learning experience for the Academy boys.
The extended senior squad that travelled to Perth was made up of 25 players, with a couple of the boys expected to fly back to play with us in Wollongong. With that in mind, after we finished training I organised the required number of Academy boys and finished my preparations for our trip to Wollongong. Later on Friday night I got the message that the other boys would be staying in Perth, so I needed to find two more players at the last minute.
It was mid-Saturday morning as I was about to head down to Wollongong that I received the great news. As he has done on so many times before, the QBE Sydney Swans Academy guru Chris Smith came through with the goods, finding me another two players. When you are balancing game time for players coming back from injury while trying to make sure you don’t injure everyone else, it is incredibly important to have a full bench to help with the rotations, so we really appreciated his help.
So we headed off to Wollongong on Saturday. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been down there, but we always feel very welcome in the Illawarra. It is a credit to the Ainslie Football Club who understand the need, even at our level, to help develop and promote our game in all parts of NSW, so for them to allow one of their home games to be moved to Wollongong added to the respect that we had for their organisation.
After talk of rain down at the ‘Gong, we were pretty happy to see blues skies, but the wind had come to greet us, blowing strongly across the very large ground. But the wind didn’t keep the fans away, and it was great to see so many locals dressed in the red and white ready to cheer the boys on.
Not only were extra players in Perth, but also the rest of the development coaches. For this reason it was great to see a car load of the senior injured boys including Rhyce Shaw, Dan Hannebery and Alex Johnson at the ground nice and early and ready to put their coaches’ hats on. They were a great support for me throughout the day.
We always knew that Ainslie were going to be a good test for us. They were certainly going to test us physically, which is exactly what we needed after last week’s game. While the wind was going mainly across the ground, it was favoring the end that Ainslie started kicking towards in the first quarter. We controlled the play for the first part of the quarter but found it difficult to kick goals. When Ainslie got their opportunities, they used the ball a little better and made the most of their opportunities in front of goals, which saw them lead by a goal at the first break.
We used the ball a little better in the second quarter and gave the forwards better opportunities and were rewarded with goals and led at the long break. With the wind being such a factor, it can be a challenge when getting your message across. What we needed to do better in the third quarter was not necessary as a result of what happened in the second, but we just needed to remain switched on and make the most of our opportunities.
For the fans that did come along it would have been somewhat frustrating as so much of the play was over the far side in the direction of where the wind was blowing. They were, however, rewarded in the last quarter when the teams traded goals and the lead changed a couple of times. It was great to hear them get excited and jump up and down in the cooler conditions. When the siren did sound at the end, we had managed to get our noses in front. It was great to see the desperation from all the players at the end of the game. Our leaders stood up and directed the players around the park and our younger boys jumped on board and joined in the arm wrestle. It was also pleasing to see the enjoyment on all the players’ faces after winning that close encounter.
While not the prettiest of games, I am sure that all the great Swans supporters down in Wollongong who came and supported us would have enjoyed seeing football at that level played in their backyard.
This week we look forward to seeing our terrific Swans fans in Canberra join us and cheer loudly as our boys take on the Belconnen Magpies in a replay of last year’s Eastern Conference Grand Final at the picturesque Kippax Oval. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Player Focus:
Each week, the Sydney Swans development coaches, Josh Francou, Jared Crouch and Nick Davis will highlight the performances of some of the Swans’ NEAFL players.
These players are those who contributed well on game day, made improvements or played a significant role for the Swans.
NEAFL Player of the Week – Shane Biggs
Shane was back to his best against Ainslie on the weekend. He amassed 50 disposals and most were used to our advantage. He was instrumental in helping with our ball movement and read the play well with seven intercepts.
Key Stats: 35 kicks, 15 handballs, seven marks, one goal, seven intercepts
Tom Mitchell
It was a very good game from Tom this week. He was back to his best with his inside work, clearing the ball from stoppages, and was able to get some good outside ball with some good spread and offensive run. Tom was tagged after quarter time but was still able to have a significant influence on the game.
Key Stats: 19 kicks, 25 handballs, eight marks
Sam Naismith
It was an impressive game from Sam this week. It can be difficult for a ruckman in windy conditions, but he handled this well with very good work at both ball-ups around the ground and boundary throw-ins. He was able to get first touch in the ruck and gave our mids first look at the ball. His work at ground level on the weekend was, and continues to be, a strength of his game.
Key Stats: One kick, 15 handballs, four marks, one goal
Tommy Walsh
It was Tommy’s most influential game for the year. He was able to read the play well with nine intercepts, three spoils and 10 marks. Although he wasn’t’ tested defensively with a big opponent, he did help with our ball movement in the back half.
Key Stats: 11 kicks, eight handballs, 10 marks, nine intercepts
Dean Towers
It was good to see Dean back playing the footy we know he can. After a very quiet game last week after returning from injury, he was able to get involved more this week and impacted the scoreboard with five scoring shots. His pressure in the forward half was good and he chased hard all day.
Key Stats: 18 kicks, eight handballs, eight marks, three goals
