AFL Capricornia: Swanettes beat Rockhampton Panthers, Swans men down BITS Saints in senior deciders

The Yeppoon Swans are celebrating after winning the Aussie rules senior double. Read how the games played out and what the victorious captains had to say here.

The Yeppoon Swans are celebrating after claiming the coveted senior double in the AFL Capricornia competition.

It is a first for the Aussie rules club and a feat last achieved by the Glenmore Bulls in 2014.

The women’s team, the Swanettes, came from behind to run out 25-point winners over the Rockhampton Panthers.

The men had to work hard against a determined BITS Saints’ outfit to claim their eighth straight flag and their 123rd consecutive win, the final scoreline 10.9-69 to 8.7-55.

Check out our photo gallery here.

Hundreds of people flocked to the Rockhampton Cricket Grounds to watch the six finals.

Yeppoon finished the day with four premierships, also winning reserve grade and the under-15 deciders.

BITS Saints took the honours in under-17, while Brothers Kangaroos reigned supreme in the under-13 mixed division (see full results and best on ground for each grade below).

The Yeppoon Swanettes stormed home in the second half to claim victory against Rockhampton Panthers in the senior women’s final.

Swanettes’ captain Lauren Moss, who has been with the side since 2015, said she could not have been prouder of her team.

“It feels fantastic. It was a close game; they brought it to us and we just had to keep working hard,” she said.

“We all just brought it together and got the job done.”

The Panthers led at quarter time and were up 10-6 at half-time but the Swanettes blew the game open in the second half, putting on 31 unanswered points.

Ella Calleja was sensational for the Swanettes, named Best on Ground and showing just why she has been named the women’s competition’s Best and Fairest for two years running.

The Yeppoon Swanettes celebrate after claiming the AFL Capricornia senior women’s flag.

Centre half back Katelyn Lynch was excellent, standing tall when her team was under the pump in the first half.

Jane Power up front, Katelyn Lynch in the backline and midfielders Stacey Anderson and Rileigh Mohamed also impressed.

Men’s player/coach Christian Burgess said it was “incredible” to win an eighth straight flag.

“This group… there’s no secret to it - it’s just complete hard work,” he said.

“They dedicated themselves to it from November last year and put in a whole lot of time and a whole lot of sacrifice and to see them get the reward like that in a contest like that is fantastic.”

The AFL Capricornia senior men’s grand final was an entertaining one, with the Yeppoon Swans getting home against BITS Saints to claim their eighth straight title.

BITS certainly came to play. They led at quarter time and from there it proved a real arm wrestle. Just when the Swans looked like they were going to kick away, BITS got back into the contest.

Burgess praised the opposition’s team determination.

“They never surrendered throughout that game,” he said.

“We knew we had to play four-quarter footy to try to break them and their young boys just continued to show up and it was a tremendous effort.

“I’m just really proud of the way we got over the line in the end.”

The Yeppoon Swans juggernaut rolls on, with the team winning their eighth straight AFL Capricornia flag.

The Swans’ Tyler Spencer, who played forward pocket and midfield, won Best on Ground.

Other strong performers were Jake Gallagher, Sebastian Kilpatrick-Brazier, Mitch McMullan.

Burgess also made special mention of under-17 duo Ben O’Brien (half back flank) and Jeremy Green (half forward flank) for the way they played in what was a red-hot contest.

2022 AFL Capricornia grand final results and Best on Ground award winners

Senior men: Yeppoon Swans 10.9-69 d BITS Saints 8.7-55; Best on Ground - Tyler Spencer (Yeppoon)

Senior women: Yeppoon Swanettes 5.5-35 d Rockhampton Panthers 1.4-10; Best on Ground - Ella Calleja (Yeppoon)

Reserve grade: Yeppoon Swans 16.9-105 d Rockhampton Panthers 6.4-40; Best on Ground - Eli Wells (Yeppoon)

Under-17: BITS Saints 18.12-120 d Yeppoon Swans 1.2-8; Best on Ground - Max Marsh (BITS Saints)

Under-15: Yeppoon Swans 10.9-69 d BITS Saints 6.7-43; Best on Ground - Ozzy Jackson (Yeppoon)

Under-13 mixed: Brothers Kangaroos 7.5-47 d BITS Saints 3.5-23; Best on Ground - Archie Clifford (Brothers Kangaroos)