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Swiss Stars Punctuate Fun-Filled Round 3

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By Mark Cianfagna
AFL Switzerland Reporter

LAUSANNE

Seniors

Geneva Jets vs. Basel Dragons

28.23.190 – 3.10.28

Coming into round 3 following their first loss since 2019, the Jets were looking to rebound and regain a top 2 spot. A quick start from Basel with a shot on goal after about 12 seconds of game play perhaps put this goal in doubt as Basel fielded likely their strongest roster of the season highlighted by Dave Shannon in the ruck. Perhaps this quick start poked the proverbial bear and woke the Jets up, as they went on to dominate this match from start to finish.

Tommy Ross had a huge start out of the middle and kicked a few early goals. The Jets middle was solid with Nick Hart battling in ruck contests against Shannon and winning his fair share of the taps. The Jets used support from the wings and half back to help move in the right direction after stoppages. The return of Nat Robbins to the Jets roster provided another target down forward and he led the team in scoring on the day.

The real stars of the day were what has become to be known as the Baby Jets, a group of young rugby and soccer converts who are starting to develop into footy stars. The local boys took the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of friends and family and shine a bright light on the future of AFL in Switzerland. It wasn’t just the Jets who had Swiss players really showing their development though. Basel stalwarts Keelan Senn and Svenja Mueller Byrnes created difficulties for the Geneva forwards all match long. Manu ‘not Lin-Manuel’ Miranda was also big for his club, taking home the best non-Aussie of the day award and first-gamer Tiff Endress quickly looked comfortable and got more than a few touches of the ball. The Jets had first goals from Yanis Locatelli and Adrien Foster, while Clemens ‘not so’ Bourgeois showed why he is earning a spot on the Swiss national team.

Geneva’s skill and sharing was on display in all four quarters, with all but three players kicking goals in the game. We won’t name them here, but they know who they are. The Jets ran away with this one in the end, regaining second place on the ladder.

Zurich Giants vs. Winterthur Lions

6.19.55 – 16.23.119

In what was the match of the day and a highly anticipated first meet-up between geographical rivals Zurich and Winterthur, hard battles and contests for every ball were the theme. The first quarter was a teeter-totter battle with the Lions winning the ball in the middle and Zurich defending hard and using their transition game well to keep things close.

After a close first quarter, just 4 points separated the teams and it looked as though we were in for a nail-biter. An injury to key Giant Brendan McCormick early in the second quarter deflated the Giants and with the team lacking slightly in numbers on the day, fewer rotation options were available, leading to a Winterthur advantage. The game stayed relatively close despite Jacob Brownley starting to pile on the goals again, with a few behinds mixed in for fun. Max Slavnic was good in the ruck for the Giants as the Lions were without tall man ‘Welly’.

In the third, Zurich lost their juice in the heat and with players called on to do a lot, the energy faded. The opportunities Zurich did get were thwarted by solid Lions defense and some inaccurate kicking. Although the Lions missed quite a few shots at goal as well, the numbers added up and they really took control of the game with contributions coming from everyone on their roster, especially veteran Swiss players Noah Weber and Chris Lauener. Second gamer Jonas Pfluger used his immense size to clear space for his teammates and created a lot of scoring opportunities for the Lions, while Brownley continued his separation on the leading goalkicker ladder with another 10.

The Lions are really asserting themself as the team to beat in AFL Switzerland this year with another convincing win. Zurich will be going home hoping to get healthy and have a strong unit to return to the Leman region for a key matchup against Geneva.

Reserves

Geneva Jets vs. Northern Bears

15.13.103 – 4.20.44

Leadership, sportsmanship and fun were the themes of the day in the reserves competition. As the seniors teams took a dip in the cool Leman waters and got on the beers -some more heavily than others- the Reserves teams prepared for the rubber match in what is turning out to be a great race for the premiership. With the Jets looking to take back the top spot on the ladder and the Bears hoping to continue their momentum from a tight win in Round 2, it was a highly anticipated match. It turned out to be a special day of footy with the Jets being closer to home and able to field a true reserves squad with many first gamers, and the return of reserves veterans like Paul Garwood, Tim Seiler and James Olle. The Bears were shorter on numbers as they came south, but also had a good mix of first-gamers and veterans.

While there were lots of teaching moments in the game, both teams really gelled and produced some wonderful passages of play. Muller-Byrnes was a star for the Bears and should have earned some votes from the umpires as she led the Bears well through the midfield. Endress had a strong outing in her first reserves match and Lars Mathis put his knowledge of the game to use moving the ball forward for the Bears. For the Jets, Sophie Heading, James Malar and Rachel Perotti took a bunch of marks up the ground, creating lots of chances at goal. Heavy rotations meant lots of opportunity for everyone to try new positions and develop new skills in the game. Goals were easy to find amongst the group and the Jets took an early lead as usual and never looked back. This time, there was little fightback from a tired Bears squad as Geneva tore open the game in the second half and everyone had a piece of the scoreboard with Mete Temurcin, Alex ‘new alex’ Wadlow, Yaron Lavy and Mathias Seiler all scoring their first goals in footy. This was punctuated by Seiler’s passage in the ruck where for about two minutes he didn’t let anyone else touch the ball and kicked 3 goals that went at least 50 metres each, forcing the goal umpire to go ball searching in the long grass way behind the field. Another highlight was the second and third effort of young Lavy as he picked up the ball multiple times and finally got a kick away to snag his first footy goal.

The Jets fresh legs helped them cruise to what was an easy win full of sportsmanship, humility and good ol’ footy energies!

Round 4 will bring some intense heat to Geneva on July 2nd with a big 2nd place battle between Zurich and Geneva highlighting what should be a fun-filled day.

Boat Race

Winterthur came prepared for this week’s boat race and with the Jets lineup including all new players, the stakes were high. Basel and Zurich have disappointed in this area so far this season, so were hoping the beautiful backdrop and wearing budgie smugglers would help them out. In a very tight race again, the Lions pulled out in front and took home two victories on the day, closing Geneva’s boat race ladder lead.

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Round 3 Preview

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By Mark Cianfagna
AFL Switzerland Reporter

Round 3 is set to be played at the most scenic AFL Switzerland venue: the LUC Rugby ground lakeside in Lausanne. Complete with unobstructed views of the Chablais Alps, it provides a scene like no other for footy. A hot, sunny day is expected, so slip, slop, slap and let’s get to some football australien!

Seniors

Game 1 – Geneva Jets vs. Basel Dragons

Game one will be played between the de facto host Geneva Jets and the Basel Dragons; ball up at noon. With the Jets coming off a loss, and with some key players back in the lineup, they will look the goods and likely dominate this match, trying to jump back into a top two spot with a big percentage change and some help in the other seniors match. The Jets are hoping for a full game from new ruckman Nick Hart, after he had to retire early in their Round 2 match. The Dragons, who have been struggling to keep games close, may again rely on some help from other clubs to fill out numbers, but will nonetheless be as formidable as always. The four week break will likely only mean improvements in team play and skill development for the young squad. Keep an eye out for Andrew Donbeirer in the red, black and white as he loves to play against the Jets and always shines against tough opponents. The opener of the day will likely be far from a barn-burner, but will kick-start the AFL campaign in Suisse-Romande.

Bold prediction: Jets win big while Dragons make improvements.

Game 2 – Zurich Giants vs. Winterthur Lions

Game two has all the pieces to be an absolute scorcher of a match between the top two teams on the ladder, the leading Winterthur Lions and the second-place Zurich Giants. The Lions are looking to continue their strong momentum built up in the first two rounds and create some space at the top of the ladder. According to their president, they should have a full squad coming down on the train and will be looking to get some revenge on geographical rival Zurich, who kept them out of last year’s Grand Final on percentage only. The Giants are hoping that with the return of some of their key players, they’ll have the skills to keep up. A win could push them to the top of the ladder, a place they are looking to grab and hold on to for the rest of the season, hoping to return for another shot at a premiership. A loss will likely drop them to third and will mean some catching up in the second half of the season for a chance at the flag.

A hot mid-afternoon day could play a role in how the match shapes out, but it should be a ripper of a game with both sides battling hard for the full 72 minutes.

Bold prediction: Let’s give the Lions their due, they’ve worked hard for years to get to the top and we don’t see them relinquishing that place easily. They’ll keep rolling and win this one by four goals.

Reserves

Game 3 – Geneva Jets vs. Northern Bears

With the Jets ressies likely to have a full squad and fewer players working double duty this week, they will be fresh and ready to avenge the last-kick loss in Round 2 in Winterthur. The Bears have been improving week over week, recruitment has been up and their confidence will be high after a close win last round. There is no question that they will keep this match tight and lead at times. They have shown that they can close a match, coming from behind in both games so far this season, and finishing the job in Round 2. They will be looking to buck the trend and have a strong start, allowing them to play with a lead and forcing the Jets onto their heels early. The Jets will have to respond with their team play and hope to keep their cool if the Bears attack early.

Bold prediction: The young legs of the north will continue to provide a test for the full four quarters, but the Jets skill advantage is likely to shine through in this one, leading to a comfortable win in the uncomfortable heat.