PROFILE
After many years of being the hunter, Moulamein will enter 2023 as the hunted – despite falling just short of breaking their 35-year premiership drought.
With the departure of premiers Nullawil to the North Central, the Swans now become the logical team to beat ahead of the new season. Moulamein finished last year off with a bang. After finishing the home-and-away season fourth on the ladder, the Swans went on a giant-killing spree – beating both Wandella and Quambatook on their way to their first grand final appearance in 14 years.
While the pain of the 68-point grand final loss will undoubtedly motivate the playing group, senior coach Heath Moloney is also hoping the experience will be invaluable ahead of a potential drought breaking season.
“Finals and grand finals are just a totally different game, just to go through the experience of the build-up and then to start the game well – which we did – but you have to play four good quarters or else you don’t get the result you want,” Moloney said.
“I think the experience will drive the group, they’ve had a taste of what it’s all about and we’ve played together for two or three seasons now – we’re all starting to gel really well, we just needed to add a few players in a couple of key areas, which we’ve managed to do.”
Those additions include midfielders Lochie Phillips and Amos Farrell, as well as Mathoura half back flanker Zac Cockayne and Leicthville-Gunbower key forward Blake Azzopardi. With the departure of key forward/ruckman Josh Flight, Azzopardi will take on extra responsibility up forward and will be the perfect foil for Moulamein’s 2022 leading goalkicker Beau Duggan-Hulands.
The loss of Flight should also mean a return to the ruck for Moloney, who doesn’t envisage too many changes to what was clearly a winning game plan last season.
“I think we’ll play in a pretty similar fashion to last year,” Moloney said.
“Footy’s a simple game, if you win the ball at the contest and keep control of it, then you should ordinarily win the match.”
“We’ll just look to play our free-flowing style and give our forwards as many opportunites as we can to score.”
FROM THE COACH
“It was a disappointing way to finish last year, but the challenge for the group now is to go one step further this season. I would expect that we’d be thereabouts again at the very least – and from there anything can happen.”
KEY PLAYER
Daniel Aarsman
After taking out the Swan’s Best & Fairest last season, Aarsman will again don the red and white in 2023. At his best, Aarsman is one of the Golden Rivers most dynamic game breakers, splitting his time between midfield and forward, where he can turn a game off his own boot.
INs & OUTs
INs
Lochie Phillips (Dimboola)
Amos Farrell (Craigieburn)
Zac Cockayne (Mathoura)
Blake Azzopardi (Leitchville-Gunbower)
Mitchell Millard (East Gambier)
Kaylem Hartley (Swan Hill)
OUTs
Josh Flight (Tocumwal)
Jack Jones (Balranald)
Luke Smailes (Retired)
