MD1 v SWS Blues

MD1 -R1 28 Mar 2026 Sat - 15:30 pm - Bob Prenter Reserve
G B Score Penno 10 6 66 SWS Blues 9 7 61					G B QT ST 4 2 26 26 1 2 8 8					G B QT ST 3 0 18 44 4 1 25 33					G B QT ST 1 2 8 52 1 1 7 40					G B QT ST 2 2 14 66 3 3 21 61
Best Players Darcy Carnahan Roman de Vallance Lachlan Boyd Kieran Wright Michael Weathers Matthew Carey
Goal Scorers Lachlan Boyd - 5 Sam Zikman - 2 Matthew Carey - 1 Deacan Lander - 1 Michael Weathers - 1

The newly completed facility out at Ingleburn looks very Special. Sunshine, fresh turf, and a breeze so gentle it felt like it was personally wishing us luck. A perfect day for footy, a perfect day for running, and — depending on your fitness — a perfect day for
finding out just how big this ground actually is. (Spoiler: enormous. NASA could land a shuttle on the wing.)

Despite its size, we were ready. The preseason miles in the legs weren’t just useful — they were essential. Those of you in the lower grades who might have enjoyed a more “social” approach to preseason would not have survived out there. GPS trackers were filing formal complaints.

Final Score
South West Sydney Blues: 9.7 (61)
Pennant Hills Demons: 10.6 (66)
Result: Pennant Hills by 5 points

Yes — a hardearned Dub, sealed late, and celebrated even better.

The Match...

We started strongly, moved the ball well, and had a real sense of composure across the ground. Boyd got to work early, proving once again that if you put the ball within a 20metre radius of him, he’ll find it, crash the pack, or simply bend physics to make the contest go his way. Five goals later, the Boyd Factory continued its approved, highvolume production.

Our mids worked tirelessly from the first bounce. The onball brigade stuck to their task all day with discipline — bodying up, scrapping, pestering, scragging, and doing all the onepercenters that make coaches grin and forwards sleep soundly at night.
Their defensive accountability was superb and set the tone for the way we transitioned into attack.

Stormy ran like a man who heard someone say “free beer at the end of the game.” His work rate was off the charts. If every player worked like Stormy, we’d need five extra trainers, two ambulances, and a defibrillator installed in the coaches’ box.

King turned back the clock with a vintage clutch goal in the last quarter — the kind of fifinish that makes you nod slowly and go, “Yep… he’s still got it.” Somewhere deep in the club archives, VHS tapes buzzed in approval.

Meanwhile, Pinks showed his steady class, reading the game beautifully and doing the necessary team acts with composure and a smirk that said, “Don’t worry boys, I’ve got it sorted.”

Muzz deserves credit too. After adjusting his game midmatch, he responded like a seasoned pro — lifting his work rate, shifting his positioning, and showing real character. You love to see it.

And then we get to the heart of the story: the backline.
Darcy Carnahan didn’t just play well — he practically ran a TED Talk back there. His communication, leadership, and command were so strong the rest of the team may consider paying tuition. Every defensive setup, every switch, every transition had his
fingerprints all over it. Well deserved that he walked away with the $50 Player of the
Day AND the SWS BOG sixpack. (Word is he celebrated responsibly. Word is also highly unreliable.)

Kieran Wright, meanwhile — the General. Calm, composed, precise. If there was a fire in the backline, Kiz would extinguish it before it spread and then politely remind everyone to avoid unnecessary risks in future.

Then there’s Big Roman. What a performance. “Dominated” doesn’t even cover it. He was enormous in the air, monstrous on the ground, and at times appeared to be playing several positions simultaneously. It’s no surprise he took home the $50 Flex
Player of the Day. If he gets any better, we may need to commission a statue. Possibly lifesized. Possibly in bronze.

Our debutants, Jye and Thor, deserve huge credit as well. Debuting in front of a big crowd on a huge ground under pressure is tough, but they fought through it with genuine effort, heart, and resilience. Jye also picked up the $50 Coach’s Award, further proof of the work he put in.

Now let’s talk about the opposition — because despite the scoreboard, this was no cruise to the finish. The South West Sydney “mosquito fleet” came at us hard late. They had legs, speed, numbers, and about 145 small forwards who all seem to be able to run 16km per match without sweating. Credit to them — they surged in the last and hit the front with momentum.

That’s when the character of our group shone through. We steadied. We held shape. We won contests. We slowed the tempo. And we launched one final push that sealed the result. It was gutsy, disciplined, and deserved. The sort of finish that makes a coach puff out their chest and pretend they always knew it would end that way.

(Special mentions to the entire midfield for their structure and discipline, and the backline for being the most communicative group since the invention of group chats.)

Final Thoughts...

The boys rallied when it mattered. They held firm in the tough patches. They stood up when challenged. And they finished strong in a game that was as physical as it was fast.
- The coaching group couldn’t be prouder.
- The song afterwards? Electric.
- The beers? Exhilarating.
- The feeling? Exactly why we play.

To the players in other grades — keep building, keep pushing, keep preparing. You’ll get your turn on these big stages.

To the Div 1 boys — enjoy the win, enjoy the moment, and recover well. Big season ahead.

And to the club as a whole — For those that stayed, thanks for the support, the energy, and the noise. We heard you.

Bring on next week. Up the Penno.