Armstrong, who won the Alex Jesaulenko Medal as best on ground following an impressive performance off the half back line in the Grand Final, described his team’s victory as one of their most consistent performances of the season
“Everyone has to play their role in a Grand Final and you can’t have any passengers and we certainly didn’t (on Sunday),” Armstrong told SwansTV after the match.
“We were solid and we played a really high standard all day, so when you do that in a Grand Final you put yourself in good stead to win.”
Armstrong, who was one of a small handful of players who took part in last year’s disappointing Eastern Conference loss to Queanbeyan, said it was terrific to finally take out a NEAFL premiership.
“It’s awesome,” Armstrong said.
“We got smoked this time last year, so it was good to win one and it was good to win a Grand Final for a few boys who have never played in one.”
Reflecting on his own game, Armstrong said he appreciated the honour of receiving the Alex Jesaulenko Medal, but said some of his team mates were equally deserving of the award.
“I just played my role, but they could have chosen a number of blokes, and they just plucked me out of the hat I think,” Armstrong said.
“I’m very thankful and I couldn’t have done it without the boys, and it was just a great team effort.
“Lamby (captain Jed Lamb) was great again today.
“He’s so clean and crisp around the contest and I thought Alex Brown and Jordan Lockyer were pretty solid down back and ‘X’ (Xavier Richards) on Matty Lokan.
Reserves captain Lamb, who was also named among the team’s best on Sunday, said he was pleased with his team’s ability to build on their lead as the game went on.
The Swans were challenged by Belconnen in the first term, but pushed on in the second term to increase their lead to an unassailable 23 points at half time.
“We spoke about (being challenged) before the game and a couple of weeks ago we gave (Belconnen) a bit of a touch up, so we knew they’d come out firing,” Lamb said.
“After quarter time we spoke about that and we knew they were giving it their all and we had a lot of improvement in the last three quarters, and to the boys’ credit we ran over the top.
“It’s a great achievement by the boys and it just shows that when we play Swans-footy it really stands up in big games.”
Click here to watch Jed Lamb speak to SwansTV after the Swans reserves' NEAFL Eastern Grand Final victory
Both Lamb and Armstrong’s efforts in Sunday’s Grand Final win will likely put them in the minds of Swans senior selectors ahead of Saturday night’s preliminary final against Fremantle in Perth.
With Tom Mitchell and Kurt Tippett ruled out of the match, Lamb said he hoped he had done enough to be in the mix for selection in Perth.
“I probably started a bit slow but I got going towards the end,” Lamb said of his performance.
“Hopefully (I’ll be in the mix), but I’ll just see what happens.
“There are a few boys who got injured on Saturday night so hopefully I get my chance next week over in Perth.”
