SWANS AND RIO TINTO TEAM UP FOR PILBARA COMMUNITIES

The V Swans team, which includes former West Coast Eagles premiership players Peter Matera and Chris Lewis, are running skill development, coaching and leadership programs, as part of the commitment.

The 2010 Rio Tinto Sporting Communities culminates in a Swan Districts and East Perth football match in Dampier on July 3. The WAFL game will be televised live on ABC to a state‐wide audience. In the lead‐up there will be a Colts game between the Pilbara and the Kimberley, a senior game between the West and East Pilbara, and a junior Auskick game at half time.

V‐Swans general manager Nicole Graves said Rio Tinto Sporting Communities was ostensibly about sport, but its real aim was contributing to strong, sustainable communities across the Pilbara. "This partnership aims to see program participants and their families develop in stronger and healthier Pilbara communities," Ms Graves said.

The Swan Districts Football Club wishes to clarify that it has never been investigated for breaching the WAFL's points system and has never played a match over the 130-point limit.

Despite media reports to the contrary this week, the Swan Districts Football Club did not field a side in Round 1 against West Perth that was over the 130-point allowed under the WAFL points system.

The club can confirm that there was an error on the WAFL system in the original allocation of points for two Swan Districts players, Brett Robinson and Ben Colreavy, and that was immediately cleared up when the club was notified of the disparity.

Robinson was given a five-point rating and Colreavy a seven when the new system came into operation at the start of the 2009 WAFL season and these points were on show over the whole season, but never challenged or queried.

After the Round 1 match against West Perth, the WAFL notified the Swan Districts Football Club of the changes that stemmed from Robinson being recruited from VFL club Werribee and with the WAFL deciding that 50-100 game players were more valuable than 100-plus gamers, which is where Colreavy fell after being recruited from Claremont.

Both Robinson and Colreavey were reclassified as 10-point players at the start of the year and when the Swan Districts Football Club was notified of the changes, acted accordingly to ensure the playing list fell under the 130-point benchmark.

Swan Districts Football Club football manager Matt Peach was informed by the WAFL that the league was pleased with the quick and decisive action taken four months ago and that it was the end of the matter.

John Rowe the long standing President of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association has been inducted to Life Membership of the WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association.

John first joined the Combined Association as a Delegate in 1995. Since that time John has continued to serve as a Delegate on behalf of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association.

John served as Junior Vice President of the Combined Association in 2003, Senior Vice President in 2004 and President in 2005.

John is also a Life Member of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association and of the Swan Districts Footballl Club. He has been a member of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association for over 30 years and commenced as a Committeeman in 1989. In 1997 he was elevated to President of the Association and has continued in this role.

John is also a keen supporter of events held by the Combined Association and an active Delegate at all meetings held by the Combined Association.

He has also been involved with the State 16's, 18's and WA Schoolboys/Girls jumper presentations and award functions and has represented both the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association and Combined Association during these events.

John is also responsible for organising trophies for the best and fairest WA State 18's players in the National Carnival.

John Rowe is a worthy receipient of the WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Life Membership.

By Chris Pike

GUN Swan Districts defender Tallan Ames has turned the disappointment of missing out on representing Western Australia into a positive as he looks to put the black-and-whites in a strong position to contend for this year's premiership.

Ames' passion to help Swan Districts to its first premiership since 1990 certainly outweighs any individual goals or milestone, though, and after only a handful of his 122 games being finals, the 26-year-old is hungry for the ultimate success especially after missing the 2008 grand final.

"The camaraderie and everyone's feeling around the footy club has grown because they realise that we are so close. It has taken the last two years to be able to realise that if we don’t do it this year it might not happen anytime soon," Ames said.

"The team is really good, it is a little bit tough with our reserves not able to put solid pressure on our league players, but it's great to have a couple more recruits this year and the ones we have had over the last couple of years continue to gel quite well. If it's not this year, it will be tough to turn it down.

SWAN Districts' coaching staff has received another quality boost with West Coast Eagles' premiership player and 150-game star Adam Hunter coming on board as an assistant coach in charge of the forward-line.

Hunter began his career with Swan Districts where he played his first league game in 1999 before joining the Eagles where he debuted in 2000 and went on to notch up 151 games to become a life member of the club and be a key contributor to the 2006 premiership.

He was then forced into retirement from the AFL after Round 11 last year and the 28-year-old finished off the season back at Swan Districts where he took part in the finals campaign with his last appearance in the preliminary final loss to Subiaco to finish up on 57 games 62 goals for Swans.

Hunter had to weigh up where life would then take him post his playing career and Swans' coach Brian Dawson is glad to welcome him back to the club as the forward-line coach.