BIG GAME PLAYERS: Jack Rowston (left) and Will Lyons will draw from the representative experience for the Swans under 13s.
IT WILL be a true family affair for the Griffith Swans and Giants this weekend with family ties put to one side as they battle it out for a premiership in the South West Junior Football League at Ardlethan.
Up to eight cousins will don different jerseys this weekend with surnames Conlan, Evans and Rowston dominating line-ups, while the weekend’s grand finals will also be a special moment for the Bennett family.
“We actually have two 200-game players for the (senior) club in the form of Phil Rowston and Jamie Bennett, both of those guys will have sons playing this weekend,” Griffith Junior Swans president John Dalton said. “So Jack, Ben and Harry (Rowston) will be playing this weekend, while Jamie (Bennett) has Dean and young Kyle, so this weekend will be a pretty special moment for those families as well.”
Dalton marvelled at the strength of the game in the city, saying not even in their wildest dreams did they imagine two all-Griffith finals in only the second year of the Giants.
“It’s fantastic for the kids to be playing the Giants again after already having two derbies this year,” he said. “The Giants have a bit of an edge at this stage, but grand finals are grand finals, it doesn’t matter whether you’re 13 years old or in the seniors and anything can happen.
“As a club this is what we have worked towards, when we split the club two years ago, this is exactly what we were after.
“We didn’t expect this to happen this quickly in our second year, so really we couldn’t have scripted it better.”
The Swans needed to pull out an amazing extra-time win last weekend to make the grand final, after defeating archrival Leeton-Whitton 7.6 (48) to 5.4 (34).
But Dalton believed the side will use that momentum to head into the clash with the Giants with no fear.
“It actually worked out that way that in the Swans under 13s, 11s and netball girls they all had to go to extra time to get into the grand finals,” he said.
“But I don’t think that will worry them (under 13s) for their game this weekend, they’ll bounce back pretty quickly.
“I think (Swans coach) Greg (Collins) is more worried about a couple of his players getting over the flu that they have seemed to have picked up this week.”
Jack Rowston, Will Lyons and Charlie Triggs will be key players for the Swans if they are to cause the upset and take home the title.
