The Swans were fresh from a 19.9.123 to 2.5.17 shellacking at the hands of the Belconnen Magpies in the Canberra Men's Regional minor semi-final, and Treloar was hurting physically and emotionally.

Nursing a bandaged wrist, damaged fingers, and with a slight limp, the damage to Treloar's body over the course of the season has been cumulative and unrelenting. But he persisted, much like the Swans.

Injuries were the defining feature of Goulburn's season. After a strong start to the year with three wins from three games, injuries quickly began to take a toll.

Before long, the Swans struggled to pack their bench and fought to keep pace with their better-stocked opponents.

They finished the regular season with six wins and nine losses, just enough to scrape in for finals.

Joining the Swans in the finals series were the Cootamundra Blues, the Southern Cats, and the Magpies. All three were juggernauts of the division, and Treloar knew that his ailing team had their backs to the wall from the outset.

They gave it their all on Sunday afternoon. In front of a vociferous Belconnen crowd, the Swans played their hearts out with a team cobbled together from fill-ins and a small core of un-injured regulars.

In short, that was the Swans' season. Both Treloar and the team as a whole were battered, bruised, and fighting to stay alive in the competition.

Yet never once did they give up, or even consider throwing in the towel.

"Their efforts have just been outstanding I reckon," Treloar said after the match.

"The bunch of blokes who played today have dug deep all year and played through injuries and played through some really tough games. I'm really proud of their efforts."

A big loss in finals is a bitter pill to swallow, but Treloar knows that his side will come back richer for the experience.

"It's great experience for blokes that have never been able to play finals," Treloar said.

"It's a great opportunity for boys to get around it and play finals footy and it's a little bit different and a critical experience to have.

"Hopefully we can move into next year now, keep a lot of the boys around and keep them developing, and turn them into a really good team."

The Goulburn Swans will officially farewell the 2019 season on Saturday, September 7, when they are scheduled to hold their presentation night.

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