Swans On Screen
HISTORY IN RED AND WHITE
2025 RFNL SEASON
Apr 5 CWD (h) Apr 12 CR (a) Apr 26 WT (h) May 3 NI (a) May 10 GGGM (h) May 17 MCUE (h) May 24 LW (a) May 31 bye Jun 14 TP (h)
Jun 21 CWD (a) Jun 28 WT (a) Jul 5 CR (h) Jul 12 GGGM (a) Jul 19 MCUE (a) Jul 26 NI (h) Aug 2 LW (h) Aug 9 bye Aug 16 TP (a)
Finals - Aug 23 QF1 Aug 23 EF Aug 30 QF2 Aug 30 SF Sep 6 PF Sep 13 GF
Women Football Netball Ladders Player Stats Swans Awards RFNL Awards
PLAYER TRANFERS FOR 2025
In: Michael Agnew (Labrador), Ben Browning (CSU Bushpigs), Brady Colvin, Matt Devery (Barellan United), Ben Dinning (Robe), Samuel Foley, Patrick Payne, Tom Podbury (Balmain), Luke Trembath (Barellan United), Alex Williamson (Heathcote).
Out: Riley Andreazza, Michael Andruszkiewicz, Tom Bartter and Sam Daniel (Coleambally), Tom Baxter (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs), Isaac Conlan (Albury Tigers), Henry Delves, James Girdler (Griffith Waratahs RL), Tom Jamieson (Barellan United), Cooper Kilpatrick (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs), Riley Lucas, Heath Northey (retired), Dan Peruzzi (retired), Tom Powell, Nathan Richards and Jack Rowston (Corowa-Rutherglen), Kieran Ruyg (Caloundra), Tom Tyson.
Q&A WITH MASON ROSENGREEN
Jimmy Meiklejohn, of The Daily Advertiser pops a few questions to Griffith's Mason Rosengreen on how he thinks the Swans will look like in this coming 2025 season.
What's one aspect of your game you'd like to improve upon this season?
"I talked to Fifty (Greg Dreyer) about it at the end of last season and I think it's just learning to read the play more. Sometimes I get caught out sort of ball watching but also trying to organise the team instead of looking at what my player is doing. Probably a little more game awareness is definitely what I took out of the season and a bit of strength in my game as well. I've been trying to get to the gym as much as possible this pre-season and get a bit of mass on me a little bit just so that I can hold my ground a bit during the game."
This will be your third full season at first grade level, do you feel you're now starting to find your feet at senior level?
'Yeah 100 per cent. It's been good having a nice strong group around me and even though Nathan (Richards) and Jack (Rowston) are leaving they still are part of the family. You can still call on them at training when they are there and they are still great role models. Having them around me the whole time really made it comfortable for me to move up into a leadership position. It makes it really easy to become more involved."
Obviously, it was a bit of a shock at the end of last year with the news that Jack and Nath were moving on. How was the feeling amongst the group after that?
"Everyone was a bit like 'our captain and our dominating ruckman are leaving, we've sort of been put in a hole here'. But it's a new opportunity for them and they are still young, if they leave it any longer then it'll become harder for them. I think it's perfect timing for both of them. I work with Jack so I talk with him a lot and definitely think it's the best thing for them. They are rising players and I reckon they've done the right thing. There's nothing stopping them from coming back to the club, we'll be there with open arms for when they do."
How do you feel is in for a big season?
"I reckon Willem Vaessen; he'll be hot on the track this season. I reckon he'll be one of our key backman this year and he'll definitely have a big roll to fill. Blake Aloisi is hopefully going to take up the ruck position, he'll have a big job ahead of him and I reckon he'll do an awesome job at it."
What do you feel a pass mark would be?
"I reckon just building the side as a team, that's all this season is. Becoming more of a club and more family to everyone rather than just a sport on the side. I guess it's a building block this season as we've lost players, and we've gained a few through people moving to Griffith. I reckon we're still in for a strong season. Although Jack and Nathan have left, we just can't throw the season in a hole. We've still got to throw everything at this season and go in as hard as we can even though we have lost so much."
DANIEL'S DONE WITH SWANS - By Jimmy Meiklejohn
GRIFFITH has announced that Sam Daniel will not be continuing in his senior co-coaching role effective immediately. In a statement posted to social media on Thursday afternoon, the Swans announced that Greg Dreyer would take over the sole coaching duties for first grade for the upcoming Riverina League season.
"We would like to inform our members and supporters that, due to personal circumstances, Sam Daniel will not be continuing in his role as senior co-coach, effective immediately," the statement read. "Moving forward, Greg Dreyer will once again take on the role of senior coach, supported by a group of well-respected club members and past players who will step in to assist."
After having been assistant coach and coaching reserve grade in recent years, the club had announced Daniel as the first-grade coach alongside Dreyer for the 2025 season in August last year.
The upcoming season will be Dreyer's fifth year at the helm of the Swans at first grade level. Griffith Swans declined to comment on the coaching change when approached by The Daily Advertiser on Thursday. (Weekend Advertiser - Saturday, February 15, 2025).
SWANS SIGN EXPERIENCED MIDFIELDER FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA
By Jimmy Meiklejohn
GRIFFITH has continued their solid build ahead of the upcoming season with addition of South Australian midfielder Ben Dinning. Dinning arrives at the Swans from Robe in the Mid South Eastern Football League. Prior to that he spent quite a few years at North Eastern Football League club South Clare.
The 25-year old's arrival follows the addition of Ben Browning and Sam Foley so far this off-season.
Griffith co-coach Sam Daniel said the club was delighted to have Dinning on board. "I think the past few years we haven't struggled getting recruits," Daniel said. "But getting recruits that live in town has been pretty tricky, it seems to be the way that travelling players are getting more common. "To get someone's of Ben's calibre, being a good person and moving to town is a great result for us."
After getting the heads up that Dinning was making a move to Griffith, Daniel said the club made contact and he was very keen to join the Swans. "We got his number and had a chat with him, and he was really keen to come aboard," he said. "His partner Kristen is a paramedic and got posted to Griffith, they'll be making the move in a couple of weeks."
Dinning arrives in Griffith with a fair bit of experience behind him and Daniel said he would be a great addition to the side. "He'll adds a fair bit," he said. "He's a mid-sized midfielder and he was runner-up best and fairest in a grand final year in South Australia.
"We haven't had a big look at him, but I think those sorts of credentials speak for themselves. "He's certainly in that golden period of your football career and he's been involved in a successful side. "We think he'll be a really valuable asset to our midfield, and he'll bring a lot to our young group."
In addition to getting Dinning on board, the Swans recently announced the return of Paddy Payne who returned a breakout season for the Swans in 2023, and Daniel said it was great to have a club junior back on board in the red and white. "We're super excited, he said. "It's always great when you are bringing back local juniors and Paddy obviously had a fantastic year with us in 2023.
When he's up and going there's not many that can stop him in the air, to get a genuine target around centre half forward will really straighten us up. "He will still have to manage some games with his university commitments as he's still living in Melbourne.
But to get a local junior back is fantastic and he's training for a 100km trail run at the moment, so he's in unbelievable nick which is even better."
Daniel also confirmed the Swans' Sydney contingent wouldn't be returning. "Heath Northey has retired and Lucas Riley unfortunately had that really bad double-broken jaw in our last game of the year," he said.
"We were looking at Tom Baxter, Cooper Kilpatrick and Tom Tyson coming back, but the travel was just too much for them in the end. They had a great time, and they were considering coming back, but the travel was just too much for them. "It's obviously disappointing to lose them from a talent point of view, but what that does give us is an opportunity to have our whole playing group at training every week which I think will have benefits. (The Daily Advertiser - Thursday January 30, 2025).
LENON SAYS RETHINK'S NEEDED OVER POINTS - By Andrew Moir and Jimmy Meiklejohn
AFL NSW Hall of Famer Shane Lenon believes the flood of Riverina Football League players into the Ovens and Murray should be worth one more point. One of the most respected figures in Riverina Football and an inaugural inductee into the NSW Hall of Fame this year, joining three-time Brownlow medallist Hayden Bunton and two-time North Melbourne premiership player Wayne Carey, Lenon stressed he had no issue with players tackling a higher standard.
However, under the player points system (PPS) Riverina products are only three points at their new O and M club.
"We're happy to see players at the higher level, I'm rapt they're having a crack at it, but it's not a level playing field," the 2024 Collingullie-Wagga premiership coach said. "Jack Reynolds and Cayden Winter were three-pointers when they came to North Albury (2023) and they're going to be better players, but they are worth four points.
"That's smart on their behalf (North Albury) because the rules allow them to do that."
Lenon is a former best and fairest at North Albury, as well as fellow O and M club Myrtleford and remain a passionate follower of the league. He has lost premiership players Ed Perryman (Lavington), Kane Flack, James Pope and Jamie Mooney (North Albury), while Leeton-Whitton best and fairest Angus Crelley has joined the quartet at the Hoppers.
The RFL's Jim Quinn medallist Nathan Richards and fellow Griffith team-mate Jack Rowston have joined Corowa-Rutherglen.
"I'd say the same thing for the Farrer League and Hume League," Lenon added. "The good players in those competitions are going to be good players in the Ovens and Murray.
"Ed Perryman is going to be one of the best recruits in that competition and he's worth three points. "The Ovens and Murray has already got the advantage with the higher standard and salary cap. They've already got a huge advantage as it is without getting players for three points, it's not fair."
The RFL salary cap is $85,000, while the O and M is $130,000. Riverina clubs are also beneficiaries of a current points system, as they are able to recruit players from either the Farrer and Hume Leagues for three points.
"I don't have an issue with the higher competition having more money in the salary cap," Lenon suggested. "That's fine and obviously the attraction for younger players is playing at a higher level, it's just the points and that's one thing that should be looked at.
"North Albury is probably the club that has recruited the most out of the Farrer League. Good on them as it's smart what they are doing, but they should be worth four points. They appealed as they wanted extra points, but common sense prevailed there as they didn't win the appeal and that was a good decision." (Border Mail - Friday November 29, 2024).