WHATEVER it is that the Irymple Football Netball Club has in its DNA, it should be found and bottled.
While the Swallows have had strong success in netball over the past decade in most grades, the footy sides, in particular the senior team, are what I will focus on today.
They have finished third in the seniors, while the reserves and under-18s both finished top of the ladder and booked the double chance.
I don’t know why I seem to continually tip against Irymple each finals series. I did it again Saturday against Wentworth.
There’s just a thought that hits about the golden run that has been going nearly two decades might be coming to a halt.
Yet again, though, Irymple have splashed egg all over my face and I am just in absolute awe on how they continually manage to do what they do.
Let’s put things into perspective on why I thought the logical pick was Wentworth in the qualifying final over the weekend.
First, the Swallows were playing at home, which would seem like an advantage to them. However, based on their game style of fast outside players and small forwards, the small Henshilwood Oval really does not suit them and the way they play.
In fact, you could argue it is probably the worst ground for them and the stats show exactly this. They had not beaten another top-five side this year on their home deck.
Then I added to the mix that Wentworth had Tommy Bland Medal winner Jarrod Brander and his mercurial partner in crime Wade Hancock, also a previous league leading goalkicker, up forward.
Down back they have superstar Andy Wall, with no genuinely big Irymple forward to match up on, which allows him to run off and control half-back like a general or NFL quarterback.
Irymple had not had their returning stars Dan Coghlan and Nick Mee play together since round 12, and each had played only 10 games this year.
Coghlan hadn’t laced up since round 12, so while it’s fair to assume while both are physically fit, footy fitness would be a question mark most would have had against them coming into a final.
Up forward, Irymple really don’t have a key forward target, however Jake Thrum and Nick Pezzaniti have been more than handy in hitting the scoreboard this season.
I couldn’t see how Brander and Hancock could really be stopped either.
Last, if you had have said to me before the game that Brander and Hancock would kick 10 goals between them, and that in their best were ruckman Nick Jensen and gun midfielders Jack Cottrell and Blake McDonnell, I would have then taken that bet that Wentworth walk away with a comfortable win.
What I didn’t account for was the mystical and somewhat magical part of the DNA at Irymple that seems to appear when finals come around.
Last year Irymple came from the clouds to win the flag. The year before Wentworth were absolute favourites for most punters and yet they still couldn’t stop the Swallows on the big stage.
Further back in time, they dominated the comp to finish on top and win in 2019 (no premierships were won during the COVID seasons of 2020 and 2021).
The amazing part of the past three flags is that there could have been five in a row. The Swallows defeated Ouyen United in the 2017 decider and the following year lost to the Kangas by just five points after reaching the grand final from fourth place.
So while we are here talking about a possible fourth flag in a row, they are really only one kick away from us discussing the possibility of six consecutive flags.
When looking back at all this, I think I must have had rocks in my head to keep thinking Irymple would stop anytime soon.
After their massive two-point win over Wentworth on Saturday, what I should be thinking is that this Irymple side are the most logical team to just do what they seem to continue to do every year, and that is win when it matters most.
So even if Irymple do happen to fall short this year, which I will absolutely not be betting against anymore, this football club is just an enigma that needs to be admired, studied and copied by everyone to see what the secret to success actually is.
Irymple, take a bow. You are freakish.
