SWAN Hill have claimed bragging rights over arch-rivals Tyntynder after recording their first win of the season by 23 points in the two clubs annual King’s Birthday weekend clash.
The Swans celebrated the return of several favourite sons for the game, with torrential rain throughout the first half ruining any hopes of a spectacle for the large crowd.
Instead, the match descended into a contested scrap, with players from both teams trying to surge the ball forward at every opportunity.
Two-time Jack Betts Medallist Xavier Moloney returned for his first match in the maroon and white since 2023, with Michael Hurley also pulling on the Swan Hill guernsey for the third time in three seasons.
Both Moloney and Hurley had a huge impact on the 7.7 (49) to 3.8 (26) score line, with Moloney among the Swans best in defence and Hurley kicking three goals, including two in a tense last quarter.
Hurley was among the most impactful players on the ground in the at times atrocious conditions, with the former Essendon forward the only one from either side to kick multiple goals on a difficult night for forwards.
Although Tyntynder defender Angus Crowe did a commendable job on Hurley, the key forward was still able to provide the significant marking presence that Swan Hill have sorely missed in their front half of the ground this year.
Hurley and Moloney weren’t the only impactful players to return for Swan Hill, with talented juniors Taj McMillan, Sonny Beasy, Wilhem Bennett, Bodhi Kelly and Buol Majur also returning for the rivalry game.
McMillan was the best for the Swans with his ability to find the ball around the contest, while Beasy was also dominant around the clearances, of which there was many given the conditions.
Bennett found himself playing deep in defence at times and was a key factor in Tyntynder kicking just three goals for the match, along with the Bulldogs poor disposal going inside their forward 50.
Tyntynder were their own worst enemy in the third quarter, with the Bulldogs wasting their opportunity to kick with the wind by blazing away going inside their forward line and allowing the likes of Bennett, Moloney, Tom Holdstock and Anthony Lewin to repel many of their attacking entries.
When they weren’t bombing the ball inside the forward 50, they were overusing the ball by hand, which only invited more pressure on the ball carrier further down the line.
The third quarter proved to be the decisive term, with Swan Hill stretching their five-point half time lead to 10 points by the final change and giving themselves the buffer they needed ahead of the final stanza.
Tyntynder’s Bailey Reeves breathed life into the match mid-way through the final quarter, reducing the margin to nine points after Hurley earlier kicked the opening goal of the final quarter.
The Bulldogs refused to lie down and continued to throw themselves into the contest throughout the last 30 minutes, but their hopes of a fightback were soon snuffed out when the Swans went coast-to-coast as Hurley kicked his third goal of the evening a minute before time-on, stretching the lead once again back out to 16 points.
Reeves was huge for Tyntynder, with the big bodied midfielder not only winning plenty of contested ball but also being among the few on the ground to use it efficiently given the condition.
Josh Potter was dominant in the ruck for the Bulldogs, especially in the first quarter, but drifted out of the match somewhat with Perry Roberts and Buol Majur tag-teaming the dangerous ruckman.
Elliott Broad worked hard in defence, as did Kyle Doran around the contest, but in the end it was the Bulldogs inability to use the ball as efficiently as their rivals in the second half that ultimately cost them a shot at victory, combined with Swan Hill’s desire to win the contested ball.
SCORES
| Team | Final Score |
| Swan Hill | 7.7 (49) |
| Tyntynder | 3.8 (26) |
VOTES
3 – Taj McMillan (Swan Hill)
2 – Bailey Reeves (Tyntynder)
1 – Michael Hurley (Swan Hill)
