Swans keep finals hopes flickering

BALLARAT coach Ash Baker is confident his side’s best football is a match for some of the league’s heavyweights and says he would relish the opportunity to be able to prove it in finals.

The Swans kept their finals hopes flickering with a convincing 37-point win over Bacchus Marsh last Saturday.

Regarded in some quarters as an upset, the result had consequences for both teams and on the wider battle for the two open finals vacancies.

North Ballarat leapfrogged Bacchus Marsh into fifth spot with its 28-point win over Redan, while the Swans made their own move into seventh, to sit just two points behind the sixth-placed Cobras and four points behind the Roosters with two rounds to play.

Sebastopol, which lost to certain minor premiers Darley by 65 points, slipped to eighth, four points behind Bacchus Marsh.

The Burra will need to win both of its last two matches against North Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh to force its way into finals.

Fortunately for coach Tony Lockyer’s team, a pair of wins in the final two rounds would impact directly on two of the teams the Burra are competing with for a spot in the six.

A win to the Roosters this week locks them in for finals and ends the Burra’s hopes, leaving Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat to fight it out for the lone remaining spot.

While Baker, who is in his first year back as the Swans coach after a previous stint from 2013-16, is confident they would belong in finals, he knows his side still needs to find its way in.

He viewed their win over Bacchus Marsh as a big step in the right direction following a mixed last month of football.

“The week before against East Point, we were down a little bit, but prior to that we’d been okay,” he said

“Nine points to Sunbury, 26 points to Darley…we’ve been there or thereabouts without being able to put it all together.

“We were a bit sluggish to begin with on Saturday, but we were all good in the last three quarters.

“They (Bacchus Marsh) are a very good side. They started well – it took a bit trying to stay in touch and get going.

“But they are a good side and very well coached.”

Harry Butler with five goals and Andrew Hopper (four) up forward led the way for the Swans, who overcame a 24-point quarter-time deficit, to be within 10 at half-time and in front by 16 at three-quarter-time on the back of a four goal to nil third term.

Tristan Maple, Lewis Rinaldi (two goals), Fraser Perkins and Wyatt Squires set the tone with their work rate, while Paddy O’Brien was solid in defence.

For Bacchus Marsh, ruckman Luke Goetz and Jake McCreery led the resistance.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the win for Baker was his players’ response after quarter-time.

He knows a similar dogged effort will be needed this Saturday against Melton to keep their hopes alive.

The Bloods have mixed their form over the second half of the season given their wretched run with injuries but were nothing but brave and brilliant in beating East Point by six points last weekend.

“We just need to keep moving the ball how we want to move the ball,” Baker said.

“A good side like Bacchus Marsh denied us that opportunity in the first quarter – coming up against Melton, we need to find a way to get through their defence.

“We weren’t too far away last time against Melton. They’ve been injury depleted but are getting a few soldiers back now and are starting to hit their straps.” The margin was 20 points back in June.

Should the Swans get past the Bloods, and Redan the following week, Baker is confident they can impact at finals time.

“With our best footy…absolutely,” he said.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to get in there, and if we get in, we can cause a bit of a stir.

“We just need to make sure we bring our best football this weekend.”

Only time will tell if the Swans scrape into finals, but regardless, it has still been a solid year of progress for the club’s young and developing list.

“We lost a few soldiers over the off-season, so to get a fair bit of growth and development from within has been really pleasing,” Baker said.

“Guys like Perkins, Squires, Luke Gray out on the wing has been good, and Chevy Smart has been playing some good footy.

“Down back, Paddy O’Brien, Wardley, Constable, Harwood; there are a lot of guys who are only between 15 and 30 games into their career, who have really come along.”

Round 17 draw:

East Point v Darley; Bacchus Marsh v Sunbury; North Ballarat v Sebastopol; Redan v Lake Wendouree; Melton v Ballarat.