THERE are still six rounds left in the Riverina League season, but Griffith coach Brandon Mathews believes the Swans' finals fate could hinge on the result of Saturday’s trip to Coolamon.
The Swans are fifth and will leapfrog Coolamon into fourth if they can win.
But with sixth-placed Collingullie-Glenfield Park favourites to beat Narrandera, the Swans could be out of the five if they lose.
Mathews said his players knew what was at stake.
“If we want to play finals we’ve got to keep winning,” he said.
“It’s probably not so much about where you finish in the finals now, as long as you get in there.
“We think if we can get in the five, we can certainly have a fair crack at it.”
But Mathews knows it’s dangerous to think beyond the clash against Coolamon.
The Swans suffered a gut-wrenching one-point loss to the Hoppers when they played in round four, and both clubs having struggled with consistency since.
“It’s fair to say neither side played very well the last time,” he said.
“That was probably our fourth game for the year, and with the number of new faces we had, we were still getting used to each other.
“We’ve come a long way since then and we’re probably getting a bit more consistent with how we’re sticking to our game plan and understanding what works for us.”
Che Jenkins and Richard Malone will return for the Hoppers showdown.
