The Sydney Swans reserves suffered a 53-point loss to the NT Thunder at Alice Springs’ Traeger Park on Saturday afternoon.

In the absence of a number of key players due to injury and senior selection, a relatively inexperienced reserves team made the trip north-west to take on the Thunder side on their home turf.

With forwards Jesse White, Mitch Morton and Tim Membrey on senior duty in Adelaide, Dean Towers moved up the ground into a key forward post and had an impact in the opening term, marking and kicking the team’s first goal.

Regular defender Alex Brown shared the ruck duties with top-up player Jordan Weir in the absence of White and Andrejs Everitt, while Harry Cunningham and Jake Lloyd worked tirelessly through the midfield.

Brandon Jack and top-up player Brad Plug added their names to the goal-kicking tally in the first term to see the Swans reserves trail the home side by eight points at the first change.

Following an impressive opening term from the Swans, the Thunder got on top in the second quarter and outscored the Swans reserves four goals to nil to hold a 38-point lead at the long break.

The third quarter saw key defender Xavier Richards have his turn in the ruck, while fellow defender Matthew Dick was reshuffled into full forward.

The move proved positive for the Swans, with Dick kicking his first goal for the match in the opening minute of the third term.

Misses to Towers and top-up player Aaron Sharpe cost the Swans, who stepped up the pressure and intensity in third term but were unable to get reward for their efforts on the scoreboard.

The home side also suffered from inaccuracy throughout the quarter, but three late goals to Thunder forward Darren Ewing, including a goal on the three-quarter time siren, gave the home side a 50-point lead at the final change.

The Swans reserves matched the Thunder in the final term, with both teams managing four goals each for the quarter.

Towers continued his impressive form up forward, taking a strong mark just inside the boundary line and converting a difficult goal from a tight angle before creative play from Brandon Jack resulted in the young midfielder also adding in another goal to his tally early in the final term.

Dick also continued to present as an option up forward for the visitors and kicked his second goal midway through the final term to reduce the margin to 40 points.

A goal to Swans reserves top-up Jasper Wheeler reduced the margin to seven goals, before the home side booted three late goals to take out the match by 53 points.

Sydney Swans Reserves 9.5 (59)
NT Thunder 16.16 (112)

Best: J. Lloyd, J. Lockyer, S. Biggs, H. Cunningham
Goals: D. Towers 3, B. Jack 2, M. Dick 2, B. Plug , J. Wheeler