No second chances for Swans, Blues

MOULAMEIN will head into Sunday’s knockout first semi-final against Murrabit not only as the in-form team of the Golden Rivers, but also as the team nobody wants to encounter over the next three weeks.

With five wins from their past six matches, including a 55-point victory over the Blues a fortnight ago, the Swans have begun playing their best football when it counts after a slow start to the season.

Although Murrabit hold the advantage of a two-win, one loss head-to-head record over Moulamein this season, they also know they must find their best football – and fast – if they are to progress past this weekend.

While the Swans have been beating all and sundry, the opposite is true of the Blues, who have lost five of their past six matches, with their sole win coming against Wandella in round 13 in that period.

The positive for Murrabit is that their best football is more than good enough to match it with any team according to senior coach Jack Shannahan, who spoke with The Guardian in the lead up to the big game.

“We’ve been really good when it comes to winning contested ball in the first half of the season, which is what finals are built around,” Shannahan said this week.

“We’ve just dropped away a bit in the second halves of games, so that’s something that we need to bring in that first half.

“We need to be able to maintain that for longer and we’re going to have to maintain that for four quarters this Sunday if we are going to be any chance of winning.”

The Blues will regain the services of James Russo and Brody Palmer for Sunday’s match, while co-coach Hayden Dalitz is expected to return for Moulamein providing he passes an overnight fitness test.

With the match to be played at Moulamein, Swans co-coach Brodie Tonkin is hoping to see a big crowd there in support of his team, with the team playing their first final since being knocked out of the 2023 finals in straight sets.

“I think playing at home will present some advantages, we’ve had a good run of games at home over the past month and we played them (Murrabit) last time at our home as well,” Tonkin said.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a massive advantage with playing at home, but I think it’s a good opportunity for the community to get down and support us and hopefully it generates a bit of excitement as well.

“It’s a really exciting time for the footy club and the community.

“I know they didn’t make finals last year and with it being the final year of the Golden Rivers, it’s a good opportunity to celebrate everything, from the league and what the club has achieved in the community as well throughout their time in the competition.”

One of the key players Murrabit must stop if they are to end the Swans’ winning streak is ruckman Heath Moloney, who along with Jayden Haeusler and Josh Wills, was among Moulamein’s better players when the two clubs last clashed.

The only difference this time will be the addition of the Blues’ number one ruckman Ben Gillingham, who returned from injury in Murrabit’s 84-point loss to Ultima last Saturday.

“We will play both Ben, and Jack Keath and try tag team him in the ruck,” Shannahan said.

“You can’t really do much about Heath, you can try and control him a little bit, but hopefully having two ruckmen can also mean they share the load a little bit, rather than just having one of them trying to go with him for four quarters, which is which is nearly impossible.”