After finishing near the bottom of the Division 1 ladder last season, the team was reassigned for 2017 to Division 2. They appear to have found their level defeating Brindabella 4-1 at Condor on Saturday and the week before winning 3-1 win over UC Pumas.

This was the sixth game of the season. The squad is shaping up well. 

The team was missing vice-captain Josh Watling and Eden Wheeldon, but welcomed back Kirby Murdoch, Ben Stephenson, Chad Cosgrove and the forceful Dylan Maddock.

Stags started out slowly, conceding an early goal from what turned out to be the Brindabella’s only shot of the game. Keeper Mitchell Cook was left stranded when the ball was drilled into the top corner.

Ben Stephenson and Jason Broadbent came in and the Stags took control. Josh Phelps, James Saul, Ben Stephenson and Dickson Jones controlled the defence and made a solid base to create some great attacking team moves.

Captain Aaron Swanson made a barn-storming solo run that resulted in the equaliser. Jason Broadbent, Maddock and Jake Stephenson had the chance to put the team up further, but were not able due to the brilliant keeping from the opposition.

Before half time, Swanson scored again to give Stags a 2-1 half time lead.

The Goulburn team came out in the second half with the game under control and pushed on for a third to put the game out of reach, with a number of good chances missing by inches. Jarrod Twaddell came the closest to goal, with the ball taking a coat of paint off the post. This saw Swanson step up and complete his hat-trick, with a nice team move that left him in familiar territory to finish it off.

Ten minutes before full time saw the club’s greatest talker, Ryan Gardner, step up for a free kick that was hit with surprising accuracy, only to have the keeper parry the ball into the feet of the man of the match, Aaron Swanson.

This was Swanson’s fourth of the game, and it gave him a four goal lead in the golden boot race.

GWC Stags are current leaders of Division 2 with their five wins wins from six games this season.