IT’S a new look Goulburn Swans this year, with a new attitude to match.
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With a new coach in Heath Russell, a new home ground at Goodhew Park, in a newly revamped competition, the Swans now have a new sponsor to boot…
The club have teamed up with the Astor Hotel as their primary sponsor, ending an over ten year relationship with the Goulburn Workers Club.
“It’s all happening,” said Swans club president Grant Haigh.
“I’d like to note we’re very appreciative with what the Workers have done for us for over ten years.
“But we feel (our new sponsorship with the Astor) is fresh and it’s a new change. We have rusty (Heath Russell) as new coach, and now a new sponsor and new teams in the league. It’s going to be more competitive compared to last year.”
After making it one game shy of the grand-final two years in a row, the Swans will enter the 2015 season in a redesigned AFL Canberra competition.
The normal Canberra fourth grade competition the Swans traditionally play in has been split to make a fifth grade competition.
The Swans will now play in a regionally dominated fourth grade, with the likes of fellow country football clubs Cootamundra, Yass, Cooma, but also with the UC Magpies, ANU and ADFA/RMC.
“I think the club is headed in a great direction,” Haigh said.
“The ground (Goodhew Park) was a big thing for us. I think new sponsors are a big win for us, and I think it’s going to be really competitive this year with the ANU and ADFA coming back into our league.”
Sean Griffiths of the Astor Hotel said he hoped the new relationship with the Swans could help stamp not only the club as a bigger identity in Goulburn, but the sport as a whole.
“Obviously with the Astor being a family run business, if there was anyone we wanted to be a major sponsor for it’s a blessing in disguise that it’s the Goulburn Swans because we’re an AFL family,” Griffiths said.
“It’s a win, win as far as we’re concerned. It’s not just a sponsorship, we’re passionate and we want to see the Goulburn Swans grow and become a significant club.
“We hope to not only make the club bigger, but hope to make the sport bigger, and that’s what myself and Peter my old man are very excited to do.”
The Swans have returned to pre-season training every Wednesday night from 5.30 to 7.30pm at Goodhew Park.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.
