The opening ceremony saw the Australian High Commission, Bill Fisher, along with the Ottawa Town Mayor, Larry O'Brien, open the Swans 2008 OAFL season.   A big crowd turned up to see the Swans in action and they weren't disappointed with what they saw.

The match started promisingly with the Swans matching the Roos at every bounce down and key positions around the ground.  The midfield, ably led by Ryan, Millsy and Yass, tried hard at every stoppage to move the ball forward but we foiled by the Roos formidable half back line.  Forays into the Swans forward zone proved few and far between yet the Swans were only 3 goals behind at quarter time.

The second quarter proved more promising as the Swans kicked with the wind and our forwards started to present some quality leading options. Darren Roffey and Pat (in his first ever game) kept the Roos back line busy kicking a goal and setting up numerous goal scoring attempts. The Australian trio of Steve, Corey and Valti were able to hit their targets with more frequency and the Roos knew they had a game on their hands. Roffey was a constant headache for the Roos defenders as no one had an answer for his searching leads and 3 goals (in the end) was a great return for a disciplined effort.

Half time was too short for most and before we knew it the 3rd quarter was upon us. The Swans started to lose touch with the Roos as many players started to tire and tackles slipped. The Swans used this opportunity to blood some new players and at one stage had only 3 Australian players on the field with the rest of the team made up of entirely Canadian content.  Of note Nick, Rock and Chris really impressed the coaching group with their hard running, accountability and willingness to attack the ball at every opportunity.

It showed that the swans have unearthed some real talent in the Ottawa, viewing these players as crucial to the development and long term success of the Swans in the OAFL.

The fourth quarter was a learning experience for the playing group as the Roos started to pile on more goals.  Despite this fact the swans did not give up and continued to attack the ball at every opportunity. Alp, Seth and Hammer worked hard in the forward zone managing to lock the ball in at every opportunity.  In the end, the Swans' inability to make and hold onto tackles was a key reason for the blow out in the score.
 
With 2 weeks until our next game, the Swans will use this time to rest some sort bodies (poor Swampy!) and prepare for the game against Toronto Rebels.

Thanks to all the supporters who showed up on the day as well as our dedicated band of support staff.  The day was a real success on and off the field - despite the loss.  The swans are here to stay and our first win is very VERY close. 

See you at training on Tursday night.