Busking for Glory: Swans, Lions and Hawks Clash at the Marsh!

Did you know, that when two Swans fight for territory and dominance it is often known as a busking. There is posturing, aggression and no little moving onto an opponents territory. With that in mind, I headed off this week to Hackney Marshes, to see how the busking between the London Swans and Sussex Swans panned out - who would flap the hardest and obtain dominance - in both the Women's Premiership and the Men's Conference.

As a Brit, and a soccer (apologies but I hate that name) player Hackney Marshes evokes memories of 70 pitches, backs of goalposts painted green as pitches were so close, and a general throwback to when park soccer was thriving, it's not the same now, with seemingly only 30 or so pitches - but on the plus side there are more sports played their, AFL, Rugby, Cricket and Gaelic Football - so maybe the fewer soccer pitches is a good thing. Anyway I digress.

Before the busks came to pass, their was the little matter of the Women's Conference where the London Swans, on the back of a stunning performance in Round 1, hosted the North London Lions, for the visitors first game of the season. It was also a chance to kick off the Swans Ladies Day on the Marsh.

As it turned out, the experienced Lions roared across the north London plains, and proved far too strong for the inexperienced but gallant Swans and ran out comfortable winners. The Lions raced into an early lead thanks to a quickfire double from Avneet Bhandal (pictured below) and followed that with further goals from Rosie Kahl and an outstanding outside of the boot finish by Amy Pattison. At the end of the first quarter the Lions led 4.5.29 to 0.0.0.

A battling effort with the wind at their back in the second quarter saw the Swans restrict the Lions to two scrappy soccer style goals, from Bhandal and Stephanie Daws, with another excellent finish on the angle from Pattison, taking the sides into the big break with the Lions leading 7.7.49 to 0.0.0.

Going with the wind in the third quarter the Lions effectively pinned the Swans back, and despite the battling defence were able to notch a further seven goals, to take a 14.9.93 to 0 lead into the final period.

The Swans to their enormous credit never threw in the towel and battled all the way through to the end, but came up against a powerful Lions, who will no doubt be threatening a Grand Final appearance come seasons end. When the final whistle went, the Lions had run out 17.11.113 to 0.0.0 winners, with the goals coming from Amy Pattison (7), Avneet Bhandal (5), Sarah Marschke (3) and one each from Rosie Kahl and Stephanie Daws.

With the Lions victorious, it was on to Game 2.

The Swans play off for the Sam Dixon Cup, in memory of one of the founding members of the Swans, who sadly passed away in 2019. The winners of the Cup will be whoever has the highest aggregate score over both the men's and women's games.

It was the men who took to the field first, and a tight tense encounter ensued. One spectator was heard to remark "actually, I had forgotten just how good and competitive the socials can be", and that was true. No quarter asked or given, no little skill on show.

The London Swans struck first with a neat finish from Ben Welch and having the better of the territory they added a couple of behinds, before a late wind assisted strike from Tom Johns (pictured below) pulled them clear. With Sussex making little headway into the wind, London took a 2.2.14 to 0.0.0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In difficult conditions, often the side who can gain momentum and put together a couple of goals in a quarter will end up winning the game, and so it came to pass in the opening busk. Early on in the second period, Matt Stoker pulled on back for Sussex, but there was little in the way of chances, and no further scoring, so London went into big break with a 2.2.14 to 1.0.6 lead.

At the start of the third period the ball drifted into the far corner of the ground, and seemingly stayed there for the vast majority of the quarter, with ball-up after ball-up and neither side able to secure possession or move into a different part of the pitch. When the ball did eventually make its way out, London poked home a couple of behinds, before effectively sealing the game when Johns notched his second, from a tight angle. Quarter 3 ended with London leading 3.8.26 to 1.0.6.

With the winds at their backs, there was a chance with a bit of momentum that Sussex could get back into the game, but despite a lot of pressure there were only able to add three behinds, giving a final result of 3.8.26 to 1.3.9 to London and a lead going into the second leg of the Sam Dixon Cup.

Sussex very quickly narrowed the gap at the start of Game 3, with goals from Cassandre Nolent and Lizzie Thomas bookending a couple of London behinds, and with Andjelika Opacak dominating the ruck it looked as though London would be in for a tough encounter. Gradually though they got into the contest, started getting more success at the ruck, and with Sarah McMaster, and a late Nelly Meegan double (pictured below), they had taken a first quarter lead, heading into the break 3.5.23 to 2.0.12 ahead.

London increased their lead early in the second quarter, although I missed the goal whilst talking to an excited Australian couple who didn't know that AFL was played in the UK (think the conversation went something like, my batlike hearing helping with the first bit..."that looks like AFL...I think it is AFL (chap to girl), followed by "excuse me mate (obviously) is that AFL...my response of "Yes (followed by explanation of the game in the UK)" was met with an excited smile and a promise to get back to the Marsh to watch a game). Anyway, another goal by Meegan took the London Swans to a 5.8.38 to 2.0.12 lead at the big break.

For Sussex to get back into the game they needed to capitalise on the strong breeze at their backs, but London were able to control proceedings, and after a couple of early behinds they started to pin Sussex back and goals from Maggie Minchin and Eliza McGowan put them 7.11.53 to 2.0.12 ahead going into the final quarter.

Minchin added a second and Eliza Johnstone notched late on as the London Swans shut out their Sussex counterparts in the final three quarters to pick up a resounding 9.12.66 to 2.0.12 win.

Added to the result to the result from the Men's game, that meant that the Sam Dixon Cup went the way of London by 10.19.79 to 3.3.21

Finally, the Swans men Conference side, hosted the Wimbledon Hawks, in what turned out to be a thrilling encounter only settled in the last quarter.

Having flown from south of the river up the east of London, the Wimbledon Hawks raced into an early lead with a double from the ever so popular, at least judging by the sounds from the Hawks fans, Hamish Coulton (pictured below) before a fightback from the Swans saw them cut the lead thanks to Nicholas Halsall and level things up late in the quarter thanks to the boot of Blake Goodwin. The end of a hard fought first quarter saw the sides go in at 2.0.12 apiece.

The Swans, with the wind, took the lead early on through Fergus Lappin and started to dominate territorially in the second quarter, but it was a game of few chances and at the end of the period a late strike by Darcy Johnston edged the Swans further ahead going into the big break. The score saw the Swans 4.1.25 to 2.2.14 up

Halsall struck early in the third quarter as the Swans increased their lead, but this time with the wind at their backs, the Hawks came screaming back into the contest. Sam Marrow struck an instant response, and a stunning low catch and finish on the run from Oli Hobin further reduced the deficit, and as time ran out in the quarter Luke Jackson fired between the uprights to see the Hawks head into the final period with a narrow 5.6.36 to 5.3.33 lead.

Lappin restored the Swans lead early in the quarter, and when Johnstone effort beat the despairing acrobatics of Hawks Nick Raso on the goal line it left the visitors with a mountain to climb and despite a battling effort, William Michelmore sealed the win for the hosts, as they triumphed 9.4.58 to 5.8.38.

A fantastic game to end a brilliant day.

Elsewhere, there were single games the Meadows, Dukes and Kings, as the Wildcats, Demons, Lions and Kangaroos all had sides in action.

Over at Dukes Meadow, the West London Wildcats Women outlast the Wandsworth Demons in the Women's Premiership in a thriller, with the Cats coming out on top 4.6.30 to 3.5.23, the Cats picking up their first win of the season after their shock opening round defeat against the London Swans.

The final game in the Men's Social saw a cracking contest between the Reading Kangaroos and the North London Lions, with the Lions coming out on top 10.9.69 to 4.3.27 and a spirited display by the Roos