Ready to take flight: Shepparton Swans to forge ahead following flood destruction

After the events that engulfed Shepparton in October, those words stick with you like never before.

Nestled down amongst the rivergums along the banks of the Goulburn River, Princess Park is the home of the mighty Shepparton Swans.

Afternoons are always bright, the skies are clear and as the sun starts to set below the gum trees it provides a glorious scene as footballers and netballers dance in out of the shadows.

The trees that surround and tower over the grounds teleport you away from the confines of a major regional city and act in the same way that the sports played on the grounds do to the competitors and supporters from everyday life.

As the Swans’ football and netball outfits prepare to embark on an exciting 2023 Goulburn Valley League season — one that promises to add more silverware to the club’s 2022 haul — there is one lingering concern.

This significant meeting place was almost snatched away from the Swans in October when devastating floodwater from the swollen Goulburn River inundated Princess Park.

Floodwater reached a height of more than 12m and the levee bank on the west side of the facilities stood little chance of protecting the Swans’ spiritual home.

The Swans’ Hunter Pavilion, the home of Thursday night teas and Saturday night functions, was destroyed.

Water entered and occupied the Swans’ clubrooms for almost four weeks.

Although the building structure remains, the aftermath of the flood damage is there for all to see.

It has been, and continues to be, a long road back to normality for the Swannies.

The football ground, a place that has helped nurture AFL talent Josh Rachele and countless other district legends, is still off bounds as the grass takes time to recover from the grey tone it was in November.

The clubrooms are now not only surrounded by the picturesque rivergums, but by a steel fence to keep patrons out of the building.

The Swans, who have emerged out of a demanding senior football rebuild, are in the midst of their toughest battle yet.

“Yeah it has been tough, incredibly tough, especially without the clubrooms and without access to the footy ground,” Swans president Jarrod Sutherland said.

“The clubrooms are just a shell really, everything inside has been gutted and we know we’re going to be without (them) for some time.

“Everyone thought the floodwater would arrive later than what it did, so it was a late-minute dash to go grab all the light objects from the building. We were lucky enough to get all of our memorabilia out, but a lot of our other stuff was left behind.”

In the days since the Goulburn River burst its banks, the Swans have been on a road to recovery.

A mountain of work has been undertaken to ensure the club is able to fight for premiership points on its home deck.

Sutherland said the club was successful in its application to be provided with temporary clubrooms, while Greater Shepparton City Council has been busy resurfacing the oval.

“We applied through AFL Vic and they came down and reviewed the state of the facilities,” Sutherland said.

“They deemed us to be the worst affected club in Victoria from last year’s floods. We’ve been lucky enough to have portable changerooms allocated to us for the next two years.

“Those are on loan while we get our changerooms back up and running. They (AFL Vic) have been fantastic in assisting us with our flood recovery.

“Council have helped in trying to get the ground back up and running, hopefully it’s ready for round one and they’ll resurface the netball courts as well in the coming weeks.

“We also started a GoFundMe and raised $60,000, with that money guaranteed and put aside for funding to build new clubrooms ... we are very thankful of the community’s generosity.

“We’ve had support from Congupna and Rumbalara, with both of those clubs allowing us to train at their facilities over pre-season, they’ve both been very supportive and we thank them.”

Although the Swans have been displaced from their heartland during the warmer months, there is a high level of anticipation for what the winter months will bring.

For everything that has been thrown at it, the club is gearing up for what it hopes to be a strong year.

The senior footballers have brought in a host of stars, led by former North Melbourne talents Sam Wright, Jamie MacMillan and Nathan Hrovat, while welcoming back former Swans Tom Preece and Zac Alderton.

Wright’s brother Jedd arrives for his first year at the helm of the seniors, while experienced heads and familiar faces are littered throughout the football program.

The senior netballers have also welcomed class talents and are shaping up for a promising year under A-grade mentor Courtney Simpson.

In the junior ranks the Swans will look to replicate their premiership glory from 2022.

The under-16 footballers and 15-and-under netballers clinched silverware, while the under-18s suffered heartache in the decider.

While the club builds towards a bright future, Sutherland called on former players and supporters to come cheer on the red and the white.

“Our club has been getting stronger and stronger each year after we were down the bottom for a while there,” Sutherland said.

“The club is in a great position both on and off the field and we’re really excited for the year ahead.

“We are just calling on all of our past players and supporters to come down and support the club.

“Come down and show your face during the season and help out wherever you can — it will be greatly appreciated. To have crowds down at Princess Park will be important for not just the club but for the players as well.”