THE Swans had 400 reasons to win. It was a day Steve Armstrong celebrated his 400th match for Goulburn and one in which teammates rallied to salute their veteran in style.
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Conditions quashed any chance of a freeflowing game of footy at Kenmore Oval on Saturday. Instead of thanking their fiery player-coach for his service with a cleancut performance, the Swans were forced to wrestle for every possession and win through sheer determination, rather than skill.
The 26-point win ranks as one of Armstrong’s most satisfying and sets the scene for this Saturday’s clash with Harman – a match that will double as the Swans foundation player’s club record 401st. All in all, it was a day the ‘Fox’ won’t forget in a hurry, due more to its complexity than notoriety.
The man of the moment not only had to marshal his troops and thank well-wishers for their support, he was required to umpire two games of junior footy prior to the 2pm showdown with Ainslie.
“The juniors gave me a guard of honour before their game, as did the 16s. By the time the seniors game started, I’d run through three guards of honour,” Armstrong said.
“The normal preparation, which can sometimes involve getting nervous and thinking about the game too much, didn’t have a chance to kick in.”
The chaotic preparation worked in favour of the Swans. The team had little opportunity to over analyse the occasion and settled into their rhythm en route to their best win of 2012.
“They [Ainslie] were excellent. I’d put them right up there with the likes of ADFA. They kept coming and they were hard all day.”
Fortunately, the hosts were a touch more desperate. The decision to move Dave Waters from centre-half-back to the forward line midway through the third quarter proved a match changer. With the game in the balance, Waters potted two late third-quarter goals to open up the margin.
With a two goal buffer at three-quartertime and their inspirational leader barking orders, the Swans weren’t about to let the four competition points slip. The victors were well served by Brad Chilko, whose season could be over after he re-aggravated a shoulder injury, players’ player Ben Conway, the team’s other elder statesman Jason Gray, on-baller Nathan Price, and youngsters Cameron Lawson, Kyle Granger and Simon Treloar.
The most pleasing aspect for the coach was his team’s all-round willingness to win the ball.
“The boys lifted. It was very much an arm wrestle,” he said.
“We had some standout players, but at the same time, everybody did their job. There were no weak-links.
“The pressure we applied was really pleasing. We had numbers around the ball, we kept up the intensity and kept pushing the ball forward.”
Armstrong could be forgiven for feeling a touch of déjà vu this Saturday. Again he’ll be cheered onto the field via a guard of honour. This time, however, he’ll run through a banner, be accompanied by sons Brad and James, and go into the record books. Unsurprisingly, the wily footballer insists the occasion is all about the team.
“I kept saying to the boys last week, 400 is great, but at the end of the day, it was about winning,” he said.
“This week is no different. It’s a big occasion, I know, but the number one priority is winning.”
Claiming the four competition points promises to be a tricky task – especially given the absence of gun midfielder Chilko.
“Harman, they’ve only got one win, but they’re not losing by much. They’ll be tough to toss,” Armstrong said.
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