The Sydney Swans reserves came home with the four points this weekend after posting a 24-point win over Belconnen at Canberra’s Kippax Oval on Saturday afternoon.
On a cold and windy winter afternoon, the Swans reserves led at every change to claim their eleventh win of the season and hold onto second place on the NEAFL table.
The Swans reserves got off to a fast start and managed to hold the Magpies goalless in the opening term. The Swans lead could have been greater, but the side suffered from inaccuracy in front of goal which saw them kick 3.7 for the quarter.
The home side bounced back strongly in the second quarter and outscored the Swans reserves three-goals-to two to trail by 20 points at the long break.
The second half was a tough tussle, with both sides booting two goals which saw the Swans reserves lead by 18-points at the final change.
Both teams had their opportunities in the last quarter, but the Swans reserves made the most of their chances to outscore the home side two-goals-to-one and post a 24-point win.
The Swans reserves went into the match with a fairly inexperienced side with both Tom Derickx and Tim Membrey sitting out of the clash, which saw 11 QBE Sydney Swans Academy players take the field.
Of the Academy line-up, 17-year-old Callum Mills, who recently lined up in the NSW/ACT Rams Under-18 Division Two championship team, played his first game in the red and white and held his own against his senior opponents.
In the absence of Toby Nankervis, who missed the match with a fractured finger, rookie ruckman Sam Naismith was superb for the Swans reserves and produced his best match for the season.
While Naismith was dominant in the ruck contests, his follow up around the ground and defensive pressure was equally impressive, with the 21-year-old showcasing his athleticism throughout the match.
Rookie defender Shane Biggs, who was named best afield in last week’s win over Ainslie, was again a standout for the Swans reserves, with the 22-year-old setting up a number of scoring opportunities with his run off the half-back line.
After missing nearly 12 months of football with a serious hamstring injury, Tommy Walsh also had his best game for the year, with the big Irishman showing good form in key positions both in defence and up forward.
Dan Robinson was also important for the side, with the young midfielder booting a game-high three goals.
The Swans reserves will enjoy a week off this weekend with the side drawing the bye, and will return to the field on July 26 when the team travels north to take on the NT Thunder at TIO Stadium.
Final score:
Sydney Swans Reserves 3.7 5.11 7.12 9/17 (71)
Belconnen 0.1 3.3 5.6 6.11 (47)
Best: S. Naismith, S. Biggs, T. Walsh, M. Dick, D. Robinson, G. Hewett
Goals: D. Robinson 3, S. Biggs , S. Naismith , T. Walsh , N. Hey , T. Coenen , R. O''Keefe
