Sometimes a scoreline tells you everything.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Other times, it only scratches the surface.
Shepparton Swans’ 17.13 (115) to 6.6 (42) Goulburn Valley League dismantling of Mooroopna on its home deck on Saturday was the former.
The Swans didn’t just bounce back from last week’s 24-point stumble against Seymour, they recalibrated and reminded everyone exactly why they belong in the finals conversation.
A six-goal showing from James Auld and a hulking ruck-mid performance by Mark Kovacevic tied the Swans’ victory up in a neat little bow during the Blue Ribbon Shield match in support of Victorian police.
Image 1 of 8
Mooroopna’s Ethan Hunt and Shepparton Swans’ Liam Rachele. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 8
Mooroopna’s Ben Hicks flies through the air to spoil the footy. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 8
Shepparton Swans’ Sam Bicknell winds up a handball. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 8
Mooroopna’s Jed Woods looks to offload the ball to a blue jumper. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 8
Shepparton Swans’ Luke Davies juggles a loose footy. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 8
Mooroopna’s Dom Gugliotti runs the ball out of defence. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 8
Shepparton Swans’ Zac Clohesy at full stretch. Photo by Megan FisherImage 8 of 8
Shepparton Swans’ Andrew Riordan crunches into Mooroopna’s Ben Hicks. Photo by Megan Fisher“They're so well drilled, Mooroopna, it's very rarely that you can actually get away and get on top of them,” Swans’ coach Jedd Wright said post-match.
“That first quarter, we probably weren't at our best, but we certainly worked our way through that.
“I thought our mids with ‘Kov’ (Mark Kovacevic) and Jono (Moore) in the ruck really got on top there and gave our forwards first use.”
It was Kovacevic who cracked the game open.
First, literally — with brute force at the stoppages — and then figuratively, taking a towering mark and slotting a goal after the quarter-time siren to give the Swans a 21-15 edge.
Earlier, the Swans went two goals ahead through Liam Rachele and Harrison Mazzella before Jed Woods and Nathan Drummond levelled the ledger.
The latter came from a suave move, starting with a flying Superman spoil from Ben Hicks and ending with a boundary roost from Drummond.
During the first 20 minutes, the match had a cagey flavour to it with both sides in need of someone to flip the board.
That someone was Kovacevic.
But once the Swans found the switch, they didn’t just flip it — they snapped it off.
The visitors’ second quarter was where the tide turned, showing all the ingredients of a top-six team playing fast footy: corridor bravery, isolation inside 50, and a midfield brigade that turned contested ball into attack.
However, Mooroopna started hot after the opening break thanks to a Kobie Issell missile from just inside 50 that sailed through to see the Cats trail by just one point.
Then, disaster.
Drummond went down hard and was stretchered off with a suspected ACL tear, and from the lull that followed, the Swans pounced.
Moore aced the set shot to build out the visitors’ lead out and one became two as Auld was picked out perfectly and followed it with a straight kick.
Auld started heating up, his second goal coming at the tail of a lightning transition that showcased the Swans’ running power and ruthlessness in space.
By the time Mazzella and Nathan Rachele joined the party, the gap was creeping past 30 points.
“We started working for each other really well,” Wright said of his side’s second quarter effort.
“Our forwards weren’t competing against each other, they were creating space, creating good one-on-ones and probably exposing a little bit of their lack of height down back.”
In the third term, a dreary first 10 minutes was split by Mooroopna’s Kai Madgwick, who pierced a dagger from the tip of the arc.
The the margin was back to 20 when Will Emmanuelli clunked on the goal line and kicked sharply to give the Cats a sniff.
But it didn’t last long.
The Swans hit back via Moore, and further goals to Auld and Max Clohesy - the latter's effort bouncing over the line from a mile out - removed any doubt of a win.
In the final quarter, Auld kicked three more, including one so pure it threatened to find the car park while Kovacevic floated forward again to kick a deserved second goal.
Mooroopna, to its credit, never waved the white flag.
Kade Walker offered a late moment of joy with the last action of the day, but it was red and white fever at the final siren as the Swans consolidated its spot inside the top six with a much-needed four points.
Nathan Hrovat won the medallion after being awarded best afield honours, but in Wright’s eyes, there was one clear standout.
“I thought ‘Kov’ was probably best on today,” Wright said.
“Not just giving us first use, but around the ground, he was really damaging. Our mids overall really got on top.”
“We feel like we haven’t really hit our straps yet either.
“We’re eager to get through next week against Tat, make sure we don’t slip up there, and then really hook into Rochy.”
Sports editor