Football
12 May, 2026
Saints take down Swifts
Edenhope Apsley’s senior football side broke a 22-game win drought with a win over the Swifts in round five of the Horsham District Football Netball League on Saturday May 9. Played at North Park in Stawell, the Saints kicked 13.9 (87) to the Swifts’ 10.5 (65).
Edenhope Apsley coach Toby Ferguson acknowledged the support of the club and the community for the side’s win.
“Being in Stawell, it was a long travel for even the local players and supporters, and the support on the day was awesome,” he said.
“It means a lot for myself and the team, and we thanked the community and supporters for backing us; it means just as much or more to those guys as well.”
Both sides traded goals to open the game, with a Corey Williams set shot from the pocket giving the Saints their third goal and a 20-16 lead to finish the opening term.
Williams hit another superb goal to open the second quarter, before the Saints kicked three more in the next 10 minutes.
Goals to the Swifts’ Daniel Clee and Kobe Lowe briefly stemmed the visitor’s momentum. But the Saints continued to capitalise on consistent forward 50 entries, kicking another four goals in the quarter to give them a 68-28 halftime lead.
The home side kicked the opening three goals of the second half, but a goal from Pierce Ferguson off a tough angle ensured Edenhope Apsley held a five-goal buffer (78-46) at the final break.
The Swifts managed to cut some of the visitors’ lead, but the Saints’ effort around the contest helped ensure their first victory of 2026.
Pierce Ferguson and Marcus McIntyre were outstanding for the Saints in the forward half, kicking three goals each, while Toby Ferguson and Corey Williams both kicked a pair.
Additionally, Matt Hodge, Billy Cameron, and Lachlan and William Middleton had strong games in the midfield.
For the Swifts, Kobe Lowe and Anthony Munkara each kicked two goals, while Tarquin Young, Mack Padley, Daniel Clee, Nigel Sibson and Bourke Nicholls were among the team’s better players.
After showing promise in their previous games, the Saints coach believed the four-quarter intensity the team played with helped deliver the victory.
“The last two or three weeks, although it hasn't looked great on the scoreboard, we’ve played some really good footy at times; it's just been a couple of lapses for about 10 minutes a quarter, where they'll pile on six or seven goals,” Ferguson said.
“So you take those lapses away, it doesn’t look too bad.
“To pull it all together for four quarters on the weekend was really pleasing.
Ferguson has been pleased with the growing contributions from the team, including recruits Corey Williams and Matt Hodge, and youngster Marcus McIntyre.
“Corey Williams has been fantastic; he’s come back right into the side and hasn’t missed a beat,” he said.
Matt Hodge and Billy Cameron are two of the standouts of our recruits, and have been impacting on the scoreboard as well.
“We spoke with Marcus about how he wants to build his footy and he put his hand up straight away at the opportunity to play seniors.
“He hasn’t missed a beat and I want to play him everywhere, to be honest.
“He plays well on the wing, his delivery up forward is unbelievable and to have him one out in the square is also nice to have for a 15-year-old.”