Season Wrap 2025
The club demonstrated depth and ferocity during the 2025 season. Both teams played finals with the men’s team completing the season in third place after winning the elimination final. The women’s+ team went undefeated all season which continued to back to back premiership wins.
The year was additionally exceptional due to the 4 players named to the men’s All Ontario squad and 7 to the Women’s All Ontario team. Further excellence for individuals were announced at the AFL ontario Awards night where Isabel Kleinbub won the women’s+ Leagues Best & Fairest, Abigale McDonald won the women’s+ lead goal kicker and Yaser Abou Elenein was named coach of the year. On the mens side Jordon Harcombe was awarded the men’s Leading Goal Kicker award. Other milestones included James Clock, Vivian Nguyen reaching the 50 game milestone and Jordan Harcombe reaching the 100 game and 100 goals level. Joshua La Porta was honored with a life membership. Other club awards for the 2025 season were: Volunteer of the Year Olivier Tremblay, Womens+ Best & Fairest Alanna Richardson, Men’s Best & Fairest Corey Herrington, Men’s Best & Fairest Runner Up James Young, Women’s+ Best & Fairest Runner Up Ciara Dunne, Women’s + Coach’s Award Harriet Finlayson, Men’s Coach’s Award James Coventry, Men’s Most Consistent Geoff Coventry, Women’s+ Most Consistent Isabel Kleinbub, Men’s Best Defender Mathew Makin, Women’s+ Best Defender Ricki-Lee Bloom, Women’s+ Goalkicking Abby McDonald, Men’s Goalkicking Jordon Harcomb, Women’s+ Rookie of the Year Ciara Dunne, Men’s Rookie of the Year Camm Radford, Womens+ Most Improved Abby McDonald & Paige O’Neill, Men’s Most Improved Philippe Zaor
The Women’s+ team demonstrated all season their strength and depth in the squad by being virtually untouchable in the Women’s+ competition. Round 1 on the 24th May saw the teams first win over the Toronto Central Blues by 44 points, round 2 against Hamilton by 77 points, round 3 with High Park Demons by a margin of 14 points, Round 4 with Etobicock Kangaroos by 58 points, round 5 was forfeited by the Toronto Central Blues, round 6 was a Bye, round 7 was forfeited by the Kangaroos and round 8 was forfeited by Hamilton. The forfeitures by other teams was very disappointing for our players and i’m sure by the league. Round 9 was a bye followed by a rematch in round 10 with the High Park Demons resulting in a 29 point win. Ottawa defeated the High Park Demons by 16 points in the 2nd Preliminary final and defeated the Hamilton Wildcats in the Grand Final by 87 points to be the 2025 premiers.
We can not complete talking about the Womens+ team without mentioning one of the teams champions. Izzy Kleinbub had a banner year in 2025 winning AFL Ontario Best & Fairest, All-Ontario Team selection, another premiership medal and Ottawa’s best AFL Player in 2025 at the Ottawa Sports Awards
The men’s team had a slow start to the season with a loss in their first game against the Toronto Dingos. To the credit of the players they were competitive for the first half and ran out of steam in the second. This is something they worked on with fitness improving throughout the year. Rounds 2 through 5 saw the team put in some strong wins against Hamilton Wildcats, High Park Demons, Grand River Gargoyles and a 50 to 0 win over Toronto Eagles before the Toronto Rebels put an end to the winning streak with a 2 point win against us in a screamer of a game which easily could have gone either way. Round 7 saw the start of the second half of the season with us meeting Toronto Dingos for a much closer rematch in which the Dingos won by 8 points. This an other previous games prooved to all clubs that the Ottawa Swans were a serious club and would be difficult to beat. Round 8 was a bye for the club and then we met the Gargoyles again in round 9 winning 102 to 0. Round 10 was a controversial round as the Hamilton Wildcats failed to fill a team and forfeited, robbing the club of its ability to increase its percentage and place on the ladder. Round 11 was another Bye before the final round 12 where we met the Rebels again for a 26 point loss at their home ground in Toronto . September is finals month and on September 6th we met the Rebels on our home ground and eliminated them from the years competition with a 40 to 16 win. On the 13th we travelled again to Toronto to meet the Rebels in the preliminary final but despite the hard fought effort of the team we lost 40 to 30 but again demonstrating how far the team had come throughout the season. The willingness of the team players and coaches to bring the effort and analysis needed to improve through the year, was demonstrated by the progress of game scores against the stronger teams of the league.
“I’m really proud of what we achieved this season. Finishing third and winning a home final showed real progress, and the teams commitment, especially at away games, stood out. I was encouraged by the development of our rookies and how close we pushed top sides like the Dingos and rebels.” – Trent McIlroy
“Achieving the Grand Final success with such a dedicated group of players makes the experience even more special. We place a strong emphasis on building a positive team environment, one where everyone works hard and supports each other’s growth. Whether it’s showing up and pushing each other at training, celebrating wins at the pub, or sharing conversations on road trips, every player contributes to the standards we set. It’s that connection and belief in one another that has been at the heart of our success.” – Lannie Richardson
“I was impressed by the integration of our new rookies, whose enthusiasm and willingness to learn elevated the entire group. The culture of the team made it inclusive and supportive for new players and staff. The trips to away games helped bond the team and seeing explayers and coaches come to games tied us to the club past, while establishing the club future.” – Joshua La Porta
While the season for the Ottawa Swans may have had its share of challenges and unpredictable moments, it will be remembered for its resilience, remarkable comebacks, and the indomitable spirit of the players and coaches. Success is often measured not just in wins and losses, but in the moments of perseverance, unity, and courage displayed by our players. The Ottawa Swans have faced challenges head-on, and have emerged stronger for it. As the team looks forward to the next season, there is an air of optimism and excitement in the anticipation of what they can achieve together. The experiences gained and the lessons learned will undoubtedly fuel them to continue striving for greatness, both on and off the field. The Ottawa Swans are ready to embrace the future with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, confident that the best is yet to come.
– Club President Paul Racher
