SWAN Hill overcame a determined Tooleybuc-Manangatang combination by 48 points on Saturday to clinch their first victory of 2022.
The match at the Swan Hill Showgrounds did not reach great heights due to skill errors by both sides, but the spectators still enjoyed the closeness of the contest, particularly in the first half.
The Swans were strengthened by the return of Cooper Angus and Mitchell Makepeace, who added much needed pace through the midfield. The Saints were hit with injury, unavailability and illness pre-match with Gareth and Sam Grant missing along with Ryan Standen and Ryan Domaille.
The opening 10 minutes of the match was a scrambly affair with the importance of the result front of mind. The Swans kicked the opening goal after Kallen Heslop shot a clever handball to joint coach Matt Wade, who found Tobias Thoolen directly in front of goal.
The Swans had more of the play for most of the opening term, but failed to capitalise on numerous entries into their forward 50 zone. Brayden Pitcher showed why he is such a class act with two great goals for the Saints midway through the term and when Jonathan Marsden booted a lovely 50-metre bomb, surprisingly the Saints had developed some scoreboard pressure.
But late goals by Heslop, Wade and Tom Holdstock steadied the ship with the Swans holding a seven-point lead at the first break.
The second term was an arm wrestle, with the Sherrin continually rebounding off both half-back lines. Cooper Angus had the ball on a string in the midfield and was well supported by Wade and Angus Monk. The Saints’ better players for the quarter were the rugged Jack Spinks, Ryan Regan, Pitcher and the athletic Alex Powell.
Goals to Ben Arentz and Ryan Regan gave the Saints a slender lead in time-on, but a wonderful team goal finished by Tom Spicer enabled the Swans to take a three-point lead at the long break.
The game broke open in the third term, going up a level. Spicer took control of the game by booting three great goals, becoming a target up forward for the Swans and kicking arguably the goal of the day when he cleverly intercepted an errant handball from a Saints defender and snapped truly.
Wade was in everything and Moloney started to have an impact on the game, while Monk continued to work hard in the midfield, which enabled the Swans to kick five goals for the term. For the Saints, Pitcher worked overtime to keep his side in the contest. Goals by Pitcher, Arentz and Ryan Kliemt ensured that large crowds gathered around both three-quarter-time huddles.
But the Swans dominated the final term, booting six goals to the Saints’ solitary major. Spicer booted his fifth for the afternoon, while goals by Jared Halligan and two each by Heslop and Wade shut out any thoughts of a Saints comeback.
Swan Hill’s season could well get back on track over the next three weeks with matches against Koondrook- Barham, an injury-depleted Tyntynder and Nyah Nyah-West United – which could result in a four-win, five loss ratio as they enter the second half of the season.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang have improved under the guidance of experienced coach Dean Helmers and, if they can better utilise the talent and craftiness of both Pitcher and Powell, they will threaten a number of sides this season.
VOTES
3 – Tom Spicer (Swan Hill)
2 – Mathew Wade (Swan Hill)
1 – Brayden Pitcher (Tooleybuc-Manangatang)
MATCH RESULTS
SWAN HILL 4.4 5.8 10.13 16.15.111
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG 3.4 5.5 8.8 9.9.63
GOALS – SWAN HILL – Tom Spicer 5, Matthew Wade 4, Kallen Heslop 3, Tobias Thoolen 2, Jared Halligan, Tom Holdstock 1.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG – Brayden Pitcher 4, Ben Arentz 2, Ryan Kliemt, Johnathan Marsden, Ryan Regan 1.
BEST – SWAN HILL – Tom Spicer, Jarvis Keogh, Matthew Wade, Jared Halligan, Xavier Moloney, Matthew Battenally.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG – Brayden Pitcher, Peter Rothacker, David Kennedy, Alex Powell, Richard Wardle, Ryan Regan.
