All of the above were out on show at Deakin Reserve as the Swans claimed the Goulburn Murray Junior League under-14 division one title by five points on Sunday.
The vibes were high, conditions perfect and football immaculate as the Swans’ future stars ran out against Echuca Green on the biggest day on the junior calendar.
Was the win deserved? Absolutely. Did they have to work for it? Undoubtedly.
The Swans hadn’t lost a single game all year but were immediately on the back foot as Echuca’s Jobe Murphy capitalised on a 50m free to draw first blood after five minutes.
One became two as Patrick Oliver’s dribbling kick was ushered through by Alfred Cunningham for a 13-0 lead and while the Swans were under the cosh, Echuca’s faithful banged the boards as another 50m penalty was paid and Cunningham got his reward for earlier work.
A goalsquare scramble was smashed through by Swan Zayd Gibson in the last involvement of the first quarter, but the ill-disciplined side in red and white were lucky to not be punished by a gallant Echuca.
In the second quarter, along came the moment that changed the game’s trajectory.
The Swans embarked on a run and gun play down the right flank, lifting a hail mary up into the square which was marked and despatched by Levi Baldi.
A minute later, a free kick was awarded to Sol Zak, who ran straight through from the umpire’s handover and shaped a lovely kick left, right and in.
Echuca, however, still led 21-18 at the half.
Moments into the third quarter, Jack Hudson’s torpedo from 50 glanced over the pack and bounced through, awarding Swans its first lead of the day.
It was short lived, though, as Oliver Spring glided through, cut inside his opposite and swivelled it home to restore Echuca’s advantage.
Shepparton Swans’ Charlie Hudson then opened his account with with five minutes remaining in the term, setting up a grandstand finish to an excellent encounter.
Somehow, despite weathering early blows, the Swans never looked liked losing.
Jack Hudson gloved a strong pack mark in the goal square midway through the fourth quarter, finishing his dinner and all of a sudden the Swans were singing.
Echuca directed some rolling blows at the Swans, but an admirable back six showing held the Murray Bombers at arms’ length.
Another strong Hudson mark — this time in the Swans’ defensive 50 — sealed Echuca’s fate as the ball was sent up the field and the siren sounded: game over.
The 6.1 (37) to 4.8 (32) result saw red and white spill onto the field in a spectacle to behold, and the post-game celebrations were just as jovial for the young Swans.
Baldi was named best afield by the umpires for his tireless running all game, with coach proud as punch in his post-match speech.
“Echuca was probably one team that we definitely wanted to come up against,” he said.
“To our boys, I don’t really have many words but with the way they’ve went about the year, how humble you’ve been and you really deserve it.”
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