For the Inverell Saints, 2023 should be remembered as the immaculate season.
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In capturing their first premiership since 2018, after repelling a tenacious Swans in Saturday's grand final at Wolseley Oval in Gunnedah, the Saints remained undefeated this campaign.
They won all their 14 matches, dominating every opponent until they encountered a Swans side who refused to buckle in the decider; who refused to accept that Inverell winning the finale was a fait accompli.
Inverell opened an early lead that they never relinquished. But the Swans loomed large in the minor premiers' rear-view mirror throughout the contest, before late fourth-quarter goals to Jaidon Tasker and Liam Beattie provided the Saints with a match-winning buffer.
The final score was 10.12 (72) to 8.8 (56).
"That's brilliant - a long time coming," Saints captain Hayden Chappel, the best on ground, said post-match.
The triumph, Chappel continued, was "just desserts for the work we've put in all season".
![The Saints' leadership team of skipper Hayden Chappel and coach Dick Gleeson led the side to an undefeated season. Picture by Gareth Gardner The Saints' leadership team of skipper Hayden Chappel and coach Dick Gleeson led the side to an undefeated season. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/e3853a93-c59d-4af4-b804-d34a501ca145.JPG/r0_0_2481_1604_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"That's a brilliant game of footy," he said, adding that there were "a lot of momentum swings".
"Just really proud of the boys that we were able to swing it back in our favour more times than not."
When Nash Tome booted a long-range goal at the end of the first quarter, the Saints led 3.3 (21) to 0.2 (2).
But it was the Swans who struck first in the second term - via a Lachlan Bennetts-Inkster major (he landed three for the match) - setting the tone for the rest of the game, until Inverell's decisive surge.
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The closest the Swans got to Inverell was after Zach Collier's strike midway through the second quarter, which reduced the lead to three points.
Inverell led 5.6 (36) to 3.4 (22) at half-time.
In the third quarter, with the Saints leading by 20 points, the Swans' Jake Cosgrove drilled back-to-back goals to reduce the lead to nine points: 7.7 (49) to 6.4 (40).
For the Swans, whose last premiership success was in 2009, it was a third straight grand final defeat.
![Nash Tome, left, and Rhyley Thom celebrate a goal. Nash Tome, left, and Rhyley Thom celebrate a goal.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/d4a85322-77ff-4253-a5a4-e22c014fdbe2.JPG/r0_182_1573_2158_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But after losing key personnel following their upset grand final loss to New England last season, just making the showpiece clash was viewed by them as a win.
"Obviously disappointed at the moment," Swans coach Paul Kelly said post-match. "But I think we pushed them a fair way all the game. I thought we played really well."
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