THE Bendigo Pioneers will play their first match in Swan Hill since 2022, after the NAB Talent League fixtures were revealed this week.
Both the under-18 boys and girls Pioneers teams will take on the Greater Western Victoria Rebels in round 7 on Sunday, May 18 at the Swan Hill Rec. Reserve, with the girls opening proceedings from 10am.
It will be the first time in three years that the Pioneers have played in Swan Hill for competition points, with their last match ending in a 38-point loss to the Calder Cannons in 2022.
Despite it being three years between visits, the Pioneers have developed a strong connection to the Swan Hill region, with the club hosting two whole club training sessions at the Swan Hill Rec. Reserve and Alan Garden Reserve throughout their latest pre-season campaign.
It’s that developing connection that Bendigo Pioneers boys program coach Danny O’Bree, a former NNW United premiership and Tooleybuc player himself, is hoping to further strengthen following this week’s announcement.
“It’s great that we can get an opposition like the GWV Rebels agree to come up and play in our regions and not just in Bendigo,” O’Bree said.
“Obviously we’d like to play a few more games in the regions, but it’s (the program) is sort of designed around AFL recruiters and they tend not to do a lot of travelling outside of the metropolitan area.
“There are plenty of positives, it’s just great that country teams play in the country and hopefully families and supporters can come and watch homegrown talent and see them play in a national competition.
“We asked a lot of our playing group a couple of pre-seasons ago about what they wanted and the feedback was that they wanted to travel and meet in our region and I guess, keep connecting more.
“It’s something that’s can be really difficult for us to do with such a widespread region, but for kids wanting to drive that idea, I think it’s important for us to try and make a lot of that stuff happen.
“There’s obviously a lot of other things that have to happen, there’s costs associated and travel for everyone, but the more opportunities we can provide, the better.”
Harley Reid, who would later become the No.1 draft pick of the 2023 AFL National Draft, was among those who took to the field for the Bendigo Pioneers when they ventured to Swan Hill three seasons ago, along with former Tyntynder, now Essendon VFL young gun Solomon McKay.
Although neither Reid nor McKay will be returning to play in May, in their place will be the Pioneers girls team, led by former Swan Hill College teacher Whitney Kennedy, along with several local footballing stars from the Woorinen girls football program.
“The last time we came up to Swan Hill it was just the boys team, so it’s a great outcome to have both the boys and girls teams playing this time,” O’Bree said.
“To see the girls playing will hopefully give the local female players something to aspire to as well, to see some of the girls that they’ve either played with or against or looked up to playing in a national competition will only further enhance that pathway.”
