Australian Football

Swan Hill

Since joining the Mid Murray Football League in 1941 Swan Hill has established an enviable record, both in this competition and, since 1997, in the Central Murray Football League. Known, inevitably, as the Swans, the side reached the first of its thirty-two senior grand finals in 1950, edging home by one straight kick against Tooleybuc. Premierships followed thick and fast from then on - a couple more during the 1950s, and an average of three per decade after that.

The late 1990s through into the early years of the new century produced the only significant premiership drought in the club’s illustrious history, but five losing grand finals in eight seasons was still a somewhat better record than that managed by most rival clubs. The drought was finally broken in 2005 when the Swans headed the ladder going into the finals with a 16-2 record before scoring comfortable wins over Balranald in both the second semi final and grand final to clinch the flag.

Swan Hill suffered something of a premiership hangover in 2006 to finish fifth, a result that was repeated twelve months later under the coaching of Callan Beasy, a Swan Hill product who boasted AFL experience with Carlton. In 2008, however, the Swans overcame a stuttering start to their finals campaign to repeat their 2005 success. Placed second on the ladder after the home and away rounds they lost badly to Tooleybuc Manangatang in the qualifying final before recovering dramatically to overcome first Balranald in the first semi final and then Tooleybuc Manangatang in a ‘revenge’ encounter in the preliminary final. This set up a grand final clash with a Kerang side which, having lost just 1 match for the year, was almost universally expected to have the Swans’ measure but the result was a boilover as the underdogs won with supreme comfort by 36 points. Final scores were Swan Hill 13.17 (95) defeated Kerang 9.5 (59). 

The Swans' most recent senior grade flag was attained in 2011 thanks to a 20.14 (134) to 6.12 (48) grand final trouncing of Kerang. Since then fortunes have been mixed, with third place in both 2014 and 2017 representing their best showings.