Hopefully, the fifth time’s a charm for the Shepparton Swans, because the fourth certainly wasn’t.
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It was the same old story for Swans players and fans on Saturday afternoon when the club hosted cross-town rivals Shepparton in round six of the Goulburn Valley Football League.
In a season already filled with four tight losses and ‘what-ifs’ and ‘could-have-beens’ for the Swans, Saturday’s match went much like the first few rounds of the season for the side from Princess Park as it went down to the Bears in a nail-biter by three points.
The Swans, led in attack by boom recruit Matt Perry who finished with five majors, started the match in strong fashion booting four opening-quarter goals to two.
At the halfway mark of the second quarter, the match looked headed for an upset as the Swans continued to kick away with the score sitting on 54-22 in the Swans' favour before a flurry of three quick goals from the Bears brought the away side back into the match.
With the scores on 54-41 at half-time, the Bears (like they have done all season) came firing out of the gate to start the third quarter kicking five unanswered goals to make it a run of eight in total.
But once again, like most Goulburn Valley Football League games this season, once you think you have the result picked, the match gets turned on its head.
The Swans came back with a vengeance and a four-goal run themselves to take an 80-73 lead 12 minutes into the final term.
From there both sides had their opportunities to claim the win, with the Swans kicking five consecutive behinds as Jedd Wright’s side were left to rue their missed chances.
And while the Swans have been synonymous with losing close matches, the Bears have been known for their ability to find another gear when needed.
Over the first five rounds of the season, the Bears have had players from all over the ground stand up when their side needs them, and on Saturday afternoon it was the two new (sort of) recruits forward Joel Brett and midfielder Liam Duguid who kicked the go-ahead and match-winning goals, respectively.
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Where to next? Shepparton Swans’ Lucas Rachele. Photo by Holly DanielImage 2 of 8
Quick to foot: Shepparton Swans’ Hugh Mason. Photo by Holly DanielImage 3 of 8
Best name in the league: Shepparton Swans’ Enrique Goggin. Photo by Holly DanielImage 4 of 8
Ruckin’ hell: Shepparton’s Ash Holland. Photo by Holly DanielImage 5 of 8
Quick hands: Shepparton’s Ethan Baxter. Photo by Holly DanielImage 6 of 8
On the mark: Shepparton’s Xavier Stevenson. Photo by Holly DanielImage 7 of 8
Head over the footy: Shepparton’s Lachy Rumbiolo. Photo by Holly DanielImage 8 of 8
Contested footy: Shepparton’s Lachy Rumbiolo. Photo by Holly DanielThe score eventually finished on 14.13 (97) to 15.10 (100) in the Bears’ favour.
For Shepparton, co-coaches Ted Lindon and Xavier Stevenson have produced a near-perfect start to the season.
The Bears have won all six of their matches and appear likely to go to seven wins next weekend when they host a struggling Benalla side.
Shepparton’s off-field recruiting has helped boost the Bears back into premiership contention with Brett, Duguid, Ash Holland and Luke Smith all having impressive seasons in the Goulburn Valley Football League.
For the Swans, using the word “frustration” to describe their 2024 season would be a serious understatement.
Despite having one of the hardest starts to the season fixture-wise (the Swans played four 2023 finalists in their first five games) Wright’s side has been impressive with the performances it has produced.
The Swans now sit in eighth spot on the ladder with two wins from six games — the four losses all by less than a goal — and are two wins away from the top six.
The fixture doesn’t get any easier for the Swans either, with their round-seven game being an away trip to Echuca.
Cadet Sports Journalist