IN a match where the Swans failed to hit the target with as much success as they have shown in recent weeks they have escaped with a 43-point win over GGGM.
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The Swans were their own worst enemies in the third quarter as they failed to kick any goals while Ganmain found their way back into the game kicking three unanswered goals.
Coach Adrian Pavese was quick to acknowledge his boys weren’t at the level expected.
“For some reason, we were just off our game today and I said to them after the game they have been up for the last six weeks,” he said.
“You could just see we were about 10 per cent off today and as the competition states you only have to be five or ten per cent off and often a side will have a crack at you but it was a great response in the last quarter.”
The third quarter was a particular struggle as Ganmain were able to reel back a halftime deficit of 22 points thanks to a pair of goals from Riley Corbett while Tomas Anderson kicked one.
Pavese put the slow third term down to an injury to a key forward who received a head knock just before the halftime interval.
“Losing Jacob (Conlan) just before half time sort of hurt us a bit we lost that other avenue to goal,” he said
“Being three or four players down today through late withdrawals as soon as we lost Jacob we lost our ruck rotation and lost that movement.
“It took us about a quarter to find our feet and thankfully the boys clicked in in the last quarter.”
It was a seven-goal performance from Brent Arho including three in the space of ten minutes during the final term which made the difference as well as a couple of the younger players.
“Brent Arho who kicked seven was pretty pivotal for us towards getting the ball in the forward line,” he said.
“I thought Lucas Conlan did an outstanding job on Riley Corbett who has been a massive goal kicker for Ganmain.
“Jacob Barrington again just young heads that really stepped up.”
Pavese was most pleased with the way his boys dug deep in the final term.
“What I liked was that we dug in deep for the first 10 minutes of the last quarter when they were coming at us really hard,” he said.
“They had all the momentum and to then do the job I think we kicked six in 10 minutes, so it was really pleasing that we found a way to put our foot on the throat.
“We would have normally lost that game any other year so to stay strong, stay fat to get the result in the end was probably the most pleasing.”
The side will now prepare for a tough home game when they welcome first-placed Collingullie Glenfield Park to town on Saturday afternoon.