Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club - Official Site

Coming off a bye-week, the well-rested Ottawa Swans took to the road in search of their first win of the 2010 campaign. However, the hosts Toronto Dingoes, who currently sit in a tie
for 6th on the OAFL ladder, weren’t about to rollover for the Swans as they battle for playoff positioning. With both teams anxious for the 4 points, it was sure to be a thrilling competition.

From the opening bounce, the two sides quickly found out that they would be battling more than just their opponents on this day; Mother Nature unleashed a furious rainstorm on the
fields of Humber College throughout the 4 quarters of play. However, like a duck to water, the Swans navigated through the conditions and challenged the Dingoes at every turn; as veteran Corey Bowen noted during the downpour, “…at least it’s warm. It’s kinda nice.” In such weather, the offensive opportunities were few and far between for both sides, however, solid efforts were on display from Nic Desson and Mike Kozlowski, who successfully advanced play and worked the ball well into the forward line. Aided by affiliated players Ronan
Shaughnessy and Matt Wood in the middle, the Swans were fortunate to maintain significant pressure, however, were unable to profit on the scoreboard.

Equally impressive, the Ottawa backline were attacking the ball with great courage and thwarting the advances of the Dingoes. Chris Lockhart and Mike Rushton anchored the defensive wall and were able to shut down the veteran Toronto forwards. In the end, the Dingoes’ ability to play on quickly from numerous free kicks and their skills with a wet, heavy footy were the difference in the game. As Coach Chris MacLean noted, “As a team, we gave away too many free kicks and struggled to win ball-ups and win the ball out of the middle. Nevertheless our team is showing substantial improvement since the beginning of the year and we’ll look to continue to make strides week-in and week-out.”

The Swans will look to reverse their fortunes against the first-place Toronto Eagles at Humber Field North, Saturday, August 7th at 2pm.

Final score: Toronto Downtown Dingoes 6.14 (total: 50) defeated Ottawa Swans 0.7 (total: 7)
Best players: Jay Goldhawk, Chris Lockhart, Chris Peck, Mike Rushton, Nic Desson
Attendance: a handful of the Swans faithful…rain or shine