Griffith grabbed a hard-earned and long-awaited reserve grade premiership on Saturday, with a Tom Valeri goal in the closing minutes ending years of heartache against Collingullie-Glenfield Park.
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Valeri's kick in the closing minutes, shepherded through in the goal square by teammate Kris Duncan, proved the difference as the Swans snatched a 7.8 (50) to 6.9 (45) victory.
Having lost the last two grand finals to Collingullie-GP, as well as the 2015 decider, it was sweet relief for the Swans to finally have their moment in the sun - at their fourth go in five years.
"Honestly, it's an unbelievable feeling. They've had the wood on us the last couple of years. They come in probably as favourites and it was good to get one on them," Swans coach Dean Catanzariti said.
In a low-scoring affair and a swirling wind at Narrandera, Swans' small forward Duncan kicked the only goal of the opening quarter, the first of his three for the game.
They went up by two goals early in the second and it might've been more as they looked dangerous moving the ball.
But their rivals were about to unleash their weapon, in the form of forward Matt McGrath who kicked three in five minutes.
Griffith had handed up the lead but not the contest. Up forward Reece Matheson first handed off for Duncan to goal, and then kicked one himself to lead by a goal at half-time.
McGrath dominated early in the third with two more goals. It could've been three and Luke Powell also missed an opportunity, but the Demons were a goal clear.
Catanzariti said he remained confident.
"I knew the boys' effort, their one-percenters, attacking pressure... that's what we spoke about and I knew that if we just kept that up, we'd get the job done," he said.
After early opportunities, Matheson's shot from the boundary was marked by Sam McGinn whose checkside goal nine minutes into the final quarter put the Swans up by five.
But when McGrath kicked his - and 'Gullie's - sixth, the Demons were back in front by one and in danger of spoiling another Swans party.
But Valeri, who was here two years ago when an unbeaten season went south, and then part of last year's two-point loss in first grade, had a starring role to come, snapping on the run with a shot that trickled through.
"It was pretty handy," Catanzariti said in understatement.
"I pushed up the field, I was right there on the line, I seen it go over and I knew it was a goal. I didn't even need to wait for the umpires. It was awesome."
"We've been at it for three or four years now and to get one over the line, that's what we've been pushing for."
Dean Schmetzer won the Ryan-Stewart medal for best-on-ground, after a mountain of possession, but it was a strong team performance from the Swans who, had they not got home, would've been ruing a lack of goals for the amount of times they went forward and looked on top.
League medallist Kal Sykes worked hard for Collingullie-GP while McGrath's strong marking and all six goals was pretty outstanding in a losing side.
Full-time:
Griffith Swans 1.1, 4.6, 5.7, 7.8 (50)
Collingullie-GP 0.2, 3.5, 5.9, 6.9 (45)
Goals: (Griffith) K Duncan 3, S McGinn 2, R Matheson, Tom Valeri; (Collingullie-GP) M McGrath 6.
Best: (Griffith) D Schmetzer, Tom Valeri, J Crowe, S McGinn, B Watts, B Tarr; (Collingullie-GP) K Sykes, M McGrath, R Blake, T Banks, J Gunning, T Keogh.
BOG, Ryan-Stewart Medal: Dean Schmetzer (Griffith).
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