After nearly two years in no-man's land, the Goulburn Swans returned to Goodhew Park in triumphant fashion on Saturday with a resounding win.
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In captain Rory Heffernan's 50th match for the club, the Swans took on the Molonglo Juggernauts in Goulburn and put on a gritty display.
Goulburn came into the match needing a win. The first two matches of the season had resulted in 99-point and 124 point losses to the Batemans Bay Seahawks and Southern Cats respectively (with a first round match against ADFA to be rescheduled for later in the season).
The Swans triumphed 8.13.61 to 2.11.23 over the Juggernauts, in a welcome return to the winners column.
"First couple of rough weeks, but they've definitely learned," club midfielder and coach Simon Treloar said.
"They've obviously taken on board what I'm saying and improving our game plan as we're moving forward. As they're getting that game time under their belt, they're understanding how to play the game a lot better."
After they did not play in 2020 due to a lack of numbers following COVID-19 lockdowns, the Swans have pulled together a new-look side with a number of young players, some of whom are entirely new to the sport.
Due to the inexperience of the team as a whole, Treloar expects them to undergo a learning curve throughout the season.
"We're definitely having a fun year this year, in that we're trying to teach people how to play the game," he said.
"Hopefully over the next few years we can keep this bunch of blokes together and grow them into a really strong team that can push for finals.
"I don't think that's quite on the cards for this year, but we'll just have a fun, positive year around footy. This weekend showed that they're taking things on board, which is a good sign for the future."
Amid a team where many players have less than ten matches under their belts, Treloar said Heffernan's experience and easygoing demeanour was priceless.
"Rory brings a lot of positivity, he's just a fun-loving kind of bloke," Treloar said.
"He always gets around his teammates when they kick a goal and is always giving one hundred per cent. He played the full game on Saturday in the ruck, and for someone to do that, he's just a workhorse out in the middle.
"There's real positive energy coming from him as he leads us out every week."
The win thrusts Goulburn to seventh position on the AFL Canberra Men's Fourth Grade ladder. It was a step in the right direction for the Swans, but Treloar acknowledged the need for better accuracy from set shots if they want to notch more victories.
This weekend, the Swans will have a chance to notch another win for the season against ninth-ranked Googong Hogs. With one win and three losses for the year, the Hogs have endured a similar struggle to that of Goulburn's and will be a good test for the Swans.
Goulburn will play Googong this Saturday, May 15, from noon at Rockley Oval in Googong.
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