THE Swan Hill men’s soccer team will this weekend be on the cusp of glory, with a win at home over Golden City White set to hand the Swans the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League Division 2 championship.
The unbeaten Swans require one more win from the final four matches of the home-and-away season to clinch the title.
It would be Swan Hill’s second in three seasons, following the club’s win in 2022, a season in which they also went unbeaten.
Swan Hill coach Tony Di Palma was only looking as far ahead as this weekend, when the long-time manager expected a tough contest against one of the competition’s powerhouse clubs.
“It’s just another game for us and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves because Golden City are always tough to beat,” Di Palma told The Guardian.
“We want to keep a level head and we’ll probably keep the same formation as last week, but whatever comes from the day is a bonus.
“There’s a bigger picture at play for us yet, the whole season needs to be finished and I really want to see what else we can achieve as a team.
“We will still have the Super Cup to play after this and maybe we can bring another title.
“We want to finish off the season on a high and see where it takes us, but first it’s all about just getting the points on Saturday.”
Midfielder Stephen Whittaker is expected to return from a calf strain to help bolster the team’s attacking run, complementing striker Conner Brown and fellow midfielders Cooper Fox and Jason Stokes.
The challenge for Swan Hill will lie in keeping a level head knowing what a win will deliver, especially against a Golden City outfit that has won their past three matches by a combined 13 goals.
“Every time we play Golden City you just don’t know what you’re going to get,” Di Palma said.
“Playing at home is always a positive for us, but you just never know what they will deliver.
“In saying that, we don’t take any game for granted no matter where they are placed, because at the end of the day anybody can turn up and perform really well, we just need to be wary of all teams and approach it with a level head.
“For us, and as good as our forwards have been, I think our formation has been the key to our performance this season.
“Most of our players have stayed in similar roles week to week, and they’ve gotten to a stage now where they understand their positioning.
“When we put it all together, they play as a team and the outcome is what it has been for the last 10 weeks or so.
“I think it will be an all-round effort from everyone that will get the job done.”
Also looking to confirm themselves as a finals team this weekend will be the club’s under-16 girls’ side, who find themselves just one win away from locking away a top-four finish with five rounds to play.
Although the Swans will go in as underdogs against Castlemaine Gold, they have also shown improvement throughout the season and are one of only three teams to score against the second-placed Castlemaine this season following their 4-1 loss in round 7.
Also in action will be Swan Hill’s under-16 boys’ team, who will travel to Kyneton on Saturday morning chasing their first win, while the club’s youth team will host Spring Gully White at Ken Harrison Reserve on Sunday morning.
Swan Hill’s women’s team have the bye.
