THERE will be no love lost when another chapter in the Swan Hill and Tyntynder crosstown rivalry is written tomorrow evening.
The two clubs have a long and storied history together, with a rivalry that has stood the test of time for as long as they’ve been separated by Pritchard Street.
For years, both Swan Hill and Tyntynder battled for supremacy, having met in eight grand finals throughout the 1980s and 90s, but in 2025 they face a different kind of on-field battle ahead of their now annual King’s Birthday clash tomorrow.
Having claimed their first win of the season against Kerang last Saturday, Tyntynder will go into tomorrow’s clash as favourites, with the Swans still yet to taste victory from their first seven matches.
While 2025 hasn’t yet gone to plan for the mighty maroon and white, the inclusion of several star juniors and returning club legends is expected to give the Swans an injection of confidence.
Young guns Sonny Beasy, Wil Bennett, Buol Majur, Bodhi Kelly and Taj McMillian will all don their home jumper once again, while in an added boost, two-time Jack Betts medallist Xavier Moloney and 194 game Essendon star Michael Hurley will also suit up for the home side.
While their inclusions should give the Swans faithful some belief, one thing the current crop of players won’t need according to Swan Hill coach Michael Herlihy is motivation, with his team fully aware of what’s at stake tomorrow afternoon.
“These games (against Tyntynder) are always built up pretty big around the club leading into them and being a standalone game as well, it’s going to be a pretty big game occasion,” Herlihy told The Guardian this week.
“The old boys around the club certainly remind you of the rivalries from over the years.
“We’ve had a challenging year so far and we’re a pretty young side, but having those inclusions come in will give us a bit more belief.
“But no matter what position we are on the ladder, it’s always a good battle against Tyntynder and it will probably be another one on the weekend.”
The Swans won’t be the only team with several big name inclusions, with Tyntynder also rolling out the welcome mat for a number of key players, including Jack Woodward, Harrison Hawkins and Jordi Bibby.
Perhaps the biggest name of all from a Bulldogs perspective is Roy George, who has been starring with the Casey Demons in the VFL this season.
The biggest addition is likely to come from the injection of confidence the men in red, white and blue will receive from last Saturday’s 25-point win over the Blues according to Tyntynder co-coach Darcy Bibby.
“Last Saturday was probably a long time coming, we’d been knocking on the door for a few games but we just couldn’t quite get over the line,” Bibby said.
“To get the monkey off the back is always good and hopefully that win will give us a bit of confidence.
“I think the biggest thing we will take from it is that when we play four quarters of footy we can be hard to beat.
“We’re also getting better with learning our structure more and more each week and working together as a team, which is what we’re all about this year.”
Tyntynder’s big strength will lie with their forward line, with Elia Ware and Coady Gorringe expected to stretch the Swans’ height in defence.
Ware has been in good form since making the move to play as permanent forward, but it’s his ability to not only impact in the air but also at ground level which makes him a dangerous match up for any side.
It’s Ware’s ability to be clean below his knees that might really come to the fore however, especially if the conditions turn nasty as predicted.
With wet weather expected, Herlihy is expecting the match to be decided at the contest, with this week’s inclusions becoming even more important.
“I think the clearances, especially with the weather that’s predicted, will be so important,” Herlihy said.
“It’s going to be wet so having a few bigger bodies in for us this week will help, but I think everyone has to make the most of their opportunities too in saying that.
“They have some big bodies in the midfield and taller players as well, with (Bailey) Reeves in there and those boys have been playing really well too.
“We’ll put a bit of work into their mids and hopefully shut them down, as well as big ‘Potsy’ (Josh Potter) too because keeping him quiet will go a long way towards winning the match, but that’s also easier said than done.”
Josh Potter has had a significant impact since his arrival at the Bulldogs this season and has quickly established himself as one of the Central Murray’s leading ruckmen.
Buol Majur should get first crack at nullifying Potter, who can also push forward and provide an aerial threat when required also.
For Swan Hill, Michael Hurley will get most of the attention, especially after his seven goal haul in the corresponding game 12 months ago, along with Xavier Moloney, whose poise and class with ball in hand will be a welcome sight for supporters of the maroon and white. Tip – Tyntynder to win by two points.
KEY MATCH-UP
Jared Halligan v Mick Dedini
ONE player the Swans will have to put some time into is Mick Dedini, with the veteran Bulldog a key factor in his teams win over Kerang last Saturday.
Dedini was huge across half back and around the contest, with ball use and intercept marking causing issues for the Blues.
Maybe Halligan isn’t the man for the job, or maybe he is, but it would be worthwhile for Swan Hill to consider playing a negating forward on him if they want to avoid the same fate as Kerang.THE BURNING QUESTION
How big an impact will Michael Hurley have on the Swans?
KICKED seven goals for the Swans in last year’s King’s Birthday thriller and will most likely take some stopping again tomorrow night.
Swan Hill have been crying out all year for a strong marking target inside their forward 50 and that’s exactly what the former 194 game Essendon defender/forward will provide them.
Tyntynder won’t be short of defensive options for Hurley however, with Patrick Crowe holding Kerang spearhead Zak Bozanich goalless last weekend.
While Crowe may be slightly undersized, Elliot Broad and Angus Crowe can be relied upon to peel off and provide support as they did last Saturday.
