THE Tamworth Swans have shot to the top of the AFL North West ladder after recording a resounding victory over the Narrabri Eagles.
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In their first game of the season, the Swans proved too strong for the undermanned Eagles picking up a 165 to 21 victory at Leitch Oval.
The 144-point victory was set up by a dominant display from Dale Gericke up forward, who finished with nine goals for the afternoon.
Gavin Knee was the next best for the Swans booting three goals while Raymond Nixon and Michael Reid were Narrabri's only two goal kickers for the day.
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Swans coach Paul Kelly said his side had "winners all over the ground" on Saturday.
"It was a really good way to start our season, that's for sure," Kelly told the Leader.
"Our ball use in the first quarter wasn't too good but we were able to correct that later in the game.
"We ran all day and I would probably say Dale Gericke, Ed George and Adam Cruickshank were probably our three best players, honestly though, everyone played really well.
"I thought Narrabri's pressure was really good throughout the game.
"We could have probably had another 10 goals, but the Eagles pressure was really good and made it pretty difficult.
"To be honest, I don't think the scoreboard really reflected how hard fought the game was."
The Swans will now turn their attention to their next match against the Gunnedah Bulldogs, who also notched up their first victory of the year in a 109-65 win over the Tamworth Roos.
"I'd say one area we will look to improve on will be our match awareness," Kelly said.
"It's about making the basics second nature, so that is what we will focus on this week.
"While it is nice to be on the top of the ladder for the first time in a long while, there is still a lot of work to be done yet."
In the round's other action, the Inverell Saints began their premiership defence in emphatic fashion with a 140-45 win over the Moree Suns.
Saints forward Michael Gould lead the way for his side, booting five goals in a best on ground performance.
Meanwhile, the New England Nomads sat out of round one with the bye.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
