Shepparton Swans prepare for first home game of 2023
A Goulburn Valley league club will make an emotional return home this weekend after flooding threatened its future and they’re looking to build on a positive start to the season.
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The Shepparton Swans admit if it wasn’t for the strength of its community and members its future would be completely different.
Saturday will be a significant day for the Goulburn Valley league club as it returns home to Princess Park to play for the first time since flooding devastated the region in October.
They’ll welcome one of the competition’s rising powerhouses, Mansfield, this weekend.
No part of the club was spared by the flooding with the oval’s turf needing to be replaced while the netball courts were resurfaced.
Temporary change rooms, canteen areas and other facilities have also been installed.
The change rooms, provided by AFL Victoria, can be transported to other clubs in future who may face similar challenges.
At a cost of $800,000, the Swans get first use of the facilities which have a lifespan of between 20 and 30 years.
Swans president Jarrod Sutherland said lots of work had been done to get ready.
“We’re running around like mad people organising everything” he said.
“We’re excited being back at our home ground, playing football and netball.
“We’re thankful to the AFL for supplying (the change rooms), to the council for helping getting the ground and our facilities up to the point where we can host the match there.”
Sutherland admitted there were times he thought the worst might happen.
“It’s been more emotionally tolling rather than financially,” he said.
“It has cost the club financially but we have had the AFL and council support us. As a committee and club we were adamant that we were going to be playing here.
“I certainly was concerned it may not be ready in time but I didn’t want to share those feelings.
“But I was adamant we needed to get there.”
On field, the Swans started their season on a winning note last weekend against local rivals Shepparton United.
It was the club’s first test in an impressive off-season which saw former North Melbourne trio Jamie Macmillan, Nathan Hrovat and Sam Wright arrive at the Swans.
Wright is the brother of senior coach, Jedd.
“It’s been a fantastic experience having those guys on board,” Sutherland said.
“They are very experienced at playing at the highest level, they’ve got a lot to offer. We’ve been impressed with the way they’ve been leading our junior guys.
“At quarter-time and half time they are out there giving advice.
“We couldn’t be happier with how they’ve helped the club.”
While this weekend will be a small but significant step for the Swans, the club is already looking towards having permanent facilities once again.
“The council are on board, they see the is a need there,” Sutherland said.
“But (they are) a bit strapped for cash and not sure where the money will come from. The bottom line is we need just commitment towards making it happen.
“If everyone is committed to making it happen, it will happen. There is an insurance policy on the existing building that was flooded.
“There is insurance money that is there, which will go to either rebuilding that building.
“The insurance money that comes back to the council, from the insurer, which could be a considerable sum should be put straight towards planning for a new facility there as soon as possible.”
The Swans have spent the last several years trying to build the senior list through its juniors.
It comes after a period of uncertainty five years ago.
A similar natural disaster would have left the Swans in a dangerous position.
“Had this flood event happened to us five, six seven years ago I don’t know where we would be,” he said.
“Every club has its up and down and during that time we were in a lull.
“Through a lot of hard work from a lot of people through our juniors in football and netball we’ve developed some really good young talent.
“The strength of our club and the support that we felt in the community through the floods it’s shown our club is in a strong position and getting stronger each year.”
Sutherland said the club is striving to provide the best possible facilities in order to unearth to the next Josh Rachele.
The Adelaide Crows rising star is a product of the Swans.
Rachele’s family are all involved with the club with his aunty a committee member and his father, uncle, brothers and cousins having played club.
“We love Josh,” Sutherland said.
“It’s very exciting to watch Josh run out in the big games in AFL. We are excited for Josh.
“When he comes home, when he can, he always come down to the club and trains with the boys.
“The boys love to see him back here.”
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