ROUND 6 in the KDL saw the Swans secure a comfortable 43-point win over Tallygaroopna at home, a win which could have been a bigger margin had they kicked straighter in the third quarter.
The Roadrunners dominated the second quarter, kicking four goals-zip to trail by just six points at half-time.
However, Avenel coach JD Delany, who was out injured for the game, remained calm and focused during the break, and the team responded accordingly.
The Swans’ 2024 Reserves goal-sneak Nathan Woods made a welcome return to the side after a year or two and contributed two goals, while Alex Crnko and Nicholas Goodwin each kicked five.
Woods, who has been consistently hitting the track on the byes and Sunday fixtures in recovery, expressed his satisfaction with his fitness.
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"I'm injury-free and having an impact again in the seniors," Woods said.
Delany described the win as a 'terrific' response to the disappointing result the previous week.
"We just didn’t play our football against Undera," Delany said.
"So I challenged everyone during the week to revert to the style we trained on all pre-season.
"This week, everyone played their role and played team footy.
"We showed, especially in the third quarter, that we are capable of challenging top sides."
Delany also mentioned that he was expecting the return of some injured players in the coming weeks.
"However, it’s amazing to see the (Reserves) players step up and play their role in the team," he said.
Meanwhile, over on the other side of Burnt Creek, Longwood held off a determined Merrigum, who were leading the Redlegs by nine points at half-time in their quest for a potential upset and their first win of the season.
However, injuries had already taken a toll on the Bulldogs, with eight Reserves players stepping up to play out all eight quarters for the day.
This became evident in the second half as Longwood took control and kicked away, adding 17 goals to Merrigum’s two.
Longwood’s nine goals in the third quarter were kicked into a strong wind.
Coach Jordan ‘Baz’ Formosa acknowledged that the first half had been poor but was very pleased with the team’s performance in the second half.
"I am more than happy to get the win," Formosa said.
"This week we’ll freshen up with a light session on Tuesday and then a bigger one on Thursday, turning our attention to Lancky (Lancaster) next week.
"We got touched up by another good team last week (Murchison-Toolamba)."
Formosa also praised debutant Sebastian Gatherer-Keenan for his efforts, along with William Pointer, who played his 200th game.
"Also, Liam Edwards kicking six of his eight goals in the second half made a big difference."
Despite the Longwood Reserves having the legs to outrun the Bulldogs, they struggled to match Merrigum in skill, opting to kick too high rather than focusing on keeping possession with lower, targeted passes.
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Georgia Velt reflected on their narrow win by one point, which she gave 30 seconds after the siren.
"Tally came out with a fair bit of physicality, so we really had to work out a way to find the front of the player instead of running behind, because we normally rely on our speed," Velt said.
"But we fought hard, covering a couple of outs in Maddie Richards and Ash Hansen, which made it a tough win.
"But next time, we’ll come in with a bit more confidence.”
B Grade coach Lou Jones lamented her side's loss, "No, we didn’t have a great game today."
"We started off well, and the first quarter was our best.
"The goal for this week will be to work on defensive pressure, our re-leading, our goaling, and working around the goal."
