With their collective backs against the wall and their season on the line, Shepparton Swans have been playing effective elimination finals for more than a month now.
And as a group, the Swans have risen to the challenge — winning four out of five games since dropping a match to 11th-placed Benalla in round nine of the Goulburn Valley League campaign and keeping themselves within striking distance of sixth (currently one win adrift).
But the task does not get any easier from here — with three of the top four teams looming in the final month of the regular season, starting with Mooroopna at Princess Park on Saturday.
Jedd Wright’s troops have lifted in two key areas, especially across the past fortnight in wins over Euroa and Mansfield, to keep their finals dreams alive.
An indication of a team’s “hunger” is its work at the coalface (contested possessions, clearances etc) and its work when the ball is in dispute (loose ball gets).
Thanks to GVL Data, we can assess these categories from a number of angles.
Against the Magpies at the weekend the Swans won the contested possession count by 31 (179-148), clearances by eight (46-38) and loose ball gets by 22 (86-64).
Against the Eagles the previous round the difference was even more stark — with the Swans up by 41 in contested possessions, 25 in clearances and 20 in loose ball gets.
All of this good work on the ground has been against the backdrop of aerial dominance, with the Swans winning the hit-out battle by 41 and 37 respectively across the past fortnight.
The Cats will certainly be aware of the Swans’ momentum in the middle of the ground, but are no slouches themselves — and sit fourth on the table for a reason.
It was five points that separated the outfits in round four — in favour of Mooroopna — and the round 15 rematch looks set to be just as tantalising a fixture.
The clash between Shepparton Swans and Mooroopna will be broadcast live on 98.5 ONE FM, with coverage starting from 1.30pm on Saturday.
SHEPPARTON SWANS Averages as a differential v opponent, past fortnight v season
Contested possessions
+36 (past fortnight)
+8.9 (season)
Clearances
+16.5
+4.2
Loose ball gets
+21
+4.5
Hit-outs
+39
+19.1
Hit-outs to advantage
+16
+3.2