Media The Swamprats: Top-10 Matches in History ("But That's Another Story") [RATS 400]

[GremioPower]

Alberton Qootball Club
The Swamprats

"BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY..."​

As part of the "Rats 400 Week" celebrations, the Rat Historians have gone down to the Archives and came up with a list of the most important matches in club's History.

Enjoy!

 

[GremioPower]

#10. S19R15, Swamprats - Royals

SCS, 8.9:57
GCR, 9.3:57



With off-season rebranding complete and a renovated Squad List, the newly-monikered Sin City Swamprats moved into their shiny new subterranean home for S19. The season, however, didn’t start as expected. Five losses in the first seven games left the club dangling precariously. Still, the Rats were able to fight back and arrived for the last round against the Royals one win away from returning to Finals action.

It was muddy in the Underground that day. The score would be low, so every goal counted more than usual. The Rats knew that and used the homefield advantage to strike early. In the beginning of Q2, they were 14 points ahead of the visitors. Then, the more-experienced visitors, who had already clinched their Finals berth, got into the game.

Midway the third quarter, the Royals not only had the lead, but they were 20 points in front. Everything seemed lost, but Gold City would fail to score any goal again for the remainder of the game. The Rats threw everything they got at them, and the pressure worked.

With 15’ to go before the Final siren, they were trailing by only 5 points. The effort had been outstanding, but they couldn’t maintain the pace. The Royals scored a behind, and spookism tied the score with 3’ left on the clock. Still, the score would not change after that. The draw meant a 9th place for the Rats.

LukeParkerno1, Ant Bear, toxic, Abraham Nuscrack, and nivek48 were the best for the hosts. Unfortunately, the comeback effort fell short. However, the groundwork for the S20 Minor Premiership had been done.

---
Welcome to But That's Another Story..., covering the 11 most important matches in the history of the Alberton Qootball Club, the Sin City Swamprats.

This was #10 of our Top-10. There is also a bonus game right before the Top-5.

Coming up next, there is #9, on S09R01, a match against the Bombers. But that's another story...

 

[GremioPower]

#9. S09R01, Bombers - Swamprats

BOM, 7.7:49
SCS, 24.11:155



Let's see... Rats' Milestone Match? Checked. Against the Baghdad Bombers? Checked. At Abdu Prison? Checked. There's a sense of déjà vu, isn't there? Thank you very much for this week's fixture, NaturalDisaster! The last time all those things happened together is currently the greatest winning margin in Rats' history. Will we beat that on Sunday?

One score and two seasons ago, a 99-game Swamprats was back in the league after an one-season hiatus. The SFA decided to save money, combining two parties together. The Rats' Welcome Back party would happen in the same day and place of Abdu Prison's Opening party, the new home of the then-just-rebranded Baghdad Bombers.

If the Swamprats didn't play in the previous season, the Bombers had done just enough to avoid the spoon – in a clear case of Premiership hangover. In a new oval, with a new brand, they were expecting going back to their winning ways (which they ultimately did, by the way). However, before that, they would need to pass through a very unpleasant character-building test.

It's true, they were leading the match, 3.2:20 to 3.1:19, after 12 minutes. However, they would only score again in the third quarter (3 behinds). Their fourth goal only happened in Q4.

The Rats won every single quarter, scoring at least five goals in each of them. The best quarter (or worst, depending on one’s perspective) was the third, when the Rats outscored the Bombers 53 to 3 (8 goals to 0). Baghdad's final score meant that the Rats had already won the game 12' into Q2, when Santos L Helper kicked the Swampies' second goal of the quarter.

The final margin was 106 points. 11 different Rats scored at least one goal; and none, more than 3. It was a team victory, rather than one carried by some few stars. It was a match that marked both clubs forever.

Yet, even though it was the biggest win in club's history, it is not the most cherished one. But that's another story...

 

[Power Raid]

We are blessed to have Gremio at the Rats!

 

[Metalcrusher]

Good job grem.

 

[GremioPower]

#8. S25GF, Swamprats - Roys

SCS, 14.7:91
ROY, 18.9:117



"By some unexplained miracle, the build to the Grand Final has given us not one, not three, but two Cinderella stories." Indeed, the Sim had presented Sweet with a Grand Final between two underdogs. The last time the Gorillas had been in the season closer had been in S4; the Rats, in S6. Besides, both clubs had missed Finals in the previous season – with the Rats getting the wooden spoon, to booth. Moreover, between S21 and S24, the two clubs combined for a 0-6 Finals record. So, yes, PhenomenalV1 was right when he said those words quoted above.

Some things do never change, though. For instance, this is how Cloud_ described the atmosphere right before the first bounce: "And we are back live at SFA Park for the grand final, the Roys are running out onto the ground... to a raucous cheer of the long suffering Roys contingent of the crowd, there's also plenty of neutral support for the Roys. / The Swamprats are now running out onto the field... There are a few boos and hisses in the crowd... there appears to be a few Gumbies leaning over the fence heckling the Rats captain..." The Rats had practically only themselves to rely on.

On the game itself, it was quite entertaining. In the first two quarters, the game was close. Both sides kept trading goals and behinds from bounce to siren. At HT, the Swamprats were leading by 8. The same cannot be said about Q3, which was all Roys'. The Gorillas superiority continued in the beginning of the final term, when they managed an advantage of 21 points. "Gonna take a big effort from here. Who will be the hero?," asked a desperate Ant Bear.

Dingster, Firestarter, sataris, edgie, Cheval... They all heard it. They all tried to answer the captain's call and be the hero. Together, they've managed to cut the deficit back to 7 points twice, but that was all. The Roys responded and ended up the match with the greatest margin of the day. It was meant to be fitzroybowiedog's perfect season and it was. There was nothing anyone could do against it.

Still, although the loss had been painful, at the Underground, there was a sense that it hadn't been in vain. Those struggling seasons were left behind for good. Ant Bear finished his losing speech saying: "Enjoy your win, Roys. We will be coming for your crown next season."

It took two, and it was against the Bears. But that's another story...

 

[GremioPower]

#7. S05GF, Furies - Swamprats

FUR, 13.7:85
SCS, 12.13:85



It was the Furies third season. In the previous two, they had missed Finals altogether (earning a wooden spoon in their debut). The Rats were playing the league for the second time, and it was their second time playing SFA Finals. However, in the prior season, they were out after just one game. In brief, neither club had the pedigree of the early-years powerhouses like the Titans, the Wonders, and the Demons. Still, in S05, these clubs would gift Sweet with a game for the ages.

Their third match-up that season ended up being an "one-of-a-kind;" at least, until this very day. The SFA has witnessed a fair share of ties in its 30-season History, but no other like that one in January 7th, 2006. That day, the Furies and the Swamprats faced each other for the S05 Flag. However, the Premiers would only be known in the next week. It still is the only time that an SFA Grand Final has finished without a winner.

The clubs had split the season series with 1 win each. The Rats had won 3 of their previous 4 meetings, but the Furies had been the best side in their last one. No game had been decided by more than 2 goals, so everyone was expecting a close match – but not that close. It was no surprise that The Draw started with no team dominating.

The teams switched positions ahead on the score a couple of times, before the Rats settled in with the advantage. Still, the most they could do was opening a three-goal advantage in Q2, which didn't last long. Ultimately, the Swampies managed to get into HT in front, but only by 2 points.

Maybe the Sim decided that the wind started to blow hard in the second half. It is impossible to know. What is known is that the match turned odd. It became a battle of goals v. behinds. In Q3, goals were for the Furies (5.0); while the Swamprats got all the behinds (1.8). At 3QT, the Furies had a 14-point lead.

Still, the last quarter started like the previous one, with the Rats kicking a behind. Then, the Rats seemed to get advantage of wind, scoring two goals, while the Furies only managed to answer through two behinds. After the second one, however, the Rats weren't able to get the ball out of their defense. The Furies scored a fast goal, putting themselves 9 points ahead with 13' yet to go.

The Rats responded fast: a goal; a behind (from Groove, of all people!); and a goal. With 6' left on the clock, they were leading! Unfortunately, they would never be able to carry the ball to the other side of the field again. The Furies came and built a wall from fence to fence in the midfield. If only they could score goals. Four behinds later, the siren went on with the score tied at 85. There would need to be a rematch to decided the Premiership.

Seven days later, there was another close game between the sides. The Swamprats were ahead in the beginning of the last frame, but the Furies wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. They've dominated the quarter and got their first flag ever.

The Rats would need to wait for theirs. At least, they didn't wait long. It happened in the very next season, and it was against the Bears. But that's another story...

 

[GremioPower]

#6. S04R01, Swamprats - Furies

SCS, 9.12:66
FUR, 9.9:63



"Here is the team for Round 1," announced captain Macca19 before listing the first ever Swamprat team to play an official SFA league match: rubberman, Porthos, and MrMeaner; kaysee, Pred, and Scott; JuniorBurger, Macca19, and Andre; PAFowlr, Santos L Helper, and Dreamkillers; _Espoir, Groove, and Russian; crazy_big_al, Eago77, and Ray Nolan; Sog35 and dyertribe.

It was also our first home game. "I'm not the captain, but the Swamprats are based out of Alberton Oval," said Portia to Deestroy, responsible for the OP and would post the match. "Yes," confirmed Macca. The Alberton Qootball Club, the Alberton Swamprats, would host its matches at the Alberton Oval – which the club did up to S18, before moving into its current home: Sin City's Underground.

The fixture had been good for the newbies, since the debut was against S03 wooden-spooners, Fighting Furies (who ended up only two points away from play their first Finals that season). Still, there was tension. The club really wanted to start its history with the right foot, with the vice-captain even warming up for 12 hours before the bounce!

crazy_big_al lost the hit-out, so JuniorBurger was the first Rat to record a disposal, "A WOBBLY OLD KICK" which ended up intercepted. The lack of experience and the anxiety of the debut became even clearer a bit later, when Russian missed an easy mark ("THAT PASS WAS ABSOLUTELY CENTRE METRE PERFECT HANDS OF MAGIC.") allowing the visitors to score their first points.

The mistakes kept piling on during Q1. QT came as relief, while the Rats were scoring another behind (its third) after siren. In their first quarter ever, the Rats went goalless; losing it by 9 points.

In Q2, the Furies goaled first, once again. This time, however, the Swampies were able to respond. The hero came out of the bench, dyertribe was the first Rat to kick a goal: "Q2 (6.71-7.28) : SANTOS L HELPER WITH A LITTLE SPACE. HE SENDS THE BALL TO DYERTRIBE. DYERTRIBE STRETCHES AND TAKES THE OVERHEAD MARK. DYERTRIBE WITH A LITTLE SPACE. HE GOES FOR GOAL. WHAT A HAPPY FELLOW IS DYERTRIBE."

Would that be it? The moment when the new guys discover that they can win? No. Not at all. The game immediately resumed to its original script. The Furies kept increasing their lead.

In early Q3, the scoreboard read: "ALBERTON SWAMPRATS, 2.5:17; FIGHTING FURIES, 6.6:42" The Rats were trailing by more points than they had scored. All the signs were pointing towards a demoralizing home loss.

The Rats were fighters though. They wouldn't give up. And they used all their power to go back to the game... One behind at a time. Seven consecutive scores later, and they were still trailing. At least the deficit had been reduced to eig... I mean, 14 points; because the Furies would goal right after that. No, make it 15... No, 21. Wait, 27!

There were merely 19 minutes remaining to be played, and the Furies were ahead 61 to 34. Game over? Well, not for the Swamprats. All the amazing comebacks this club has done, they can all be traced down to the very first one, in the very first game of the Swampies' very first season. "ITS THE TRUE...ALBERTON TRADITION!!!," cried Macca after the game.

True words, indeed! The Furies would not score another goal again, while the Rats would score more goals than they had done during all the rest of the match. Five majors and a siren later, from the speakerphones at Alberton, it came loud and clear a song that would become common in the Sunday afternoons of Sweet:

Beer, beer! The black and the white
Honour the beer by day and by night
Lift that pint of stout up high
Chug down the f***er til it's dry

Whether the pub be great or be small
We'll clean it out and spew over all
While our Swamprats keep on drinking
Onwards to pi**ed glory!​

The Furies would get their revenge in the next season. Then, the Rats would get their revenge in S06. And Furies and Rats would meet again, and again, and again, and again...

Up to this day, the Swamprats haven't faced any other team more than their very first opponent – and their very first Grand Final opponent, as well. But that's another story...

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

Well done GremioPower , you have gone to a lot of work!

 

[tribey]

The hero came out of the bench, @dyertribe was the first Rat to kick a goal: "Q2 (6.71-7.28) : SANTOS L HELPER WITH A LITTLE SPACE. HE SENDS THE BALL TO DYERTRIBE. DYERTRIBE STRETCHES AND TAKES THE OVERHEAD MARK. DYERTRIBE WITH A LITTLE SPACE. HE GOES FOR GOAL. WHAT A HAPPY FELLOW IS DYERTRIBE."

 

[GremioPower]

Well done GremioPower , you have gone to a lot of work!

Yes. I will need a short break from Sweet (and you all from me) after this week.

 

[GremioPower]

Bonus. S19PS, Wonders - Swamprats

WCW, 15.14:104
SCS, 11.12:78



After S18, just three seasons after its return to the SFA, the Alberton Qootball Club was facing its worst crisis in the club’s history. There was a clash between traditionalists and progressivists on what should be done – while the former wanted to preserve the club’s old roots; the latter advocated for a radical transformation.

Many doesn’t know this, but it was this debate that inspired the poet Qilliam Shaqespeare to write:

“What's in a name? that which we call a Rat
By any other name would dwell in Sweet.”
​

In an attempt to unite the club and shake things up, a new chairman was chosen. spookism took the responsibility to replace MannumPower at realm of the Swamprats. However, that wasn’t enough to appease the Far-Left party members, who infamously set Alberton on fire. [Why would that be?]

Thus, the club had no option, but to leave. The question was to where. Without a home, the first thing that spookism did was to drop Alberton from the qooty team’s name. For a while, the Swamprats were simply “the Swamprats.” With this simple tweak, Spook managed to find a balance between change and continuity. Later, he would admit it:

We've gone for a slight name change and are now the Sin City Swamprats, but we are at heart still from Alberton.

But that wasn’t all. To make things worse, the Squad List was in shambles. It wasn’t merely a matter of finding a new name and new home. Without players, those issues would be irrelevant. The club was on the verge of folding, for the third time. Many feared that “the third time is the charm,” so that it would mean the end of the Rats.

Then, outsiders stepped in to help – specially the West Coast Wonders, lead by ClarkeM. From their efforts, new players started to come in. When the list had reached the minimum, a message arrived at the improvised room in spookism’s home, which had become the Swamprats official address:

The Wonders are officially inviting you to a scratch match! Do you accept spookism? .

Look forward to seeing Millky95, LukeParkerno1 and Zakk Wylde on the field!!

The game was on! It happened between Qhristmas and New Year’s Eve, still during the offseason. The newly-assembled and homeless Swamprats against the West Coast Wonders. The match itself had a very competitive first half, with the visitors trailing by 1 goal. However, after HT, the inexperience and lack of fitness were costly to the Rats. The Wonders ended up winning by 26 points.

The score wasn’t important, though. The match itself was. It reaffirmed the club’s rightful place in the SFA; not only for the league, but, most important, for the Rats themselves. Moreover, the defeat brought a lesson, and it wasn’t wasted.

In the season proper, the Swamprats thanked the Wonders by winning both matches against them. Ultimately, the club fell just short of a Finals berth in a heart-breaking draw against the Royals in the last game of the Minor Round. But that's another story…

 

[GremioPower]

#5. S29GF, Swamprats - Demons

by Sparkle​

SCS, 11.12:78
MBD, 12.5:77

​

After toiling away all season, after resetting the line-up numerous times, after all the hard work put in through the previous 20 matches, it all came down to the Grand Final.

The Rats had finished on top of the ladder at the conclusion of the home and away season and were coming in on the back of a five-game winning streak. Their opponent would be the Mount Buller Demons, who on paper matched up very well against Sin City and had easily taken care of the Rats during their only meeting in the home and away season.

United under the #SwampratStyle banner, the Rats ran onto SFA Park for the crowning match of Season 29. The match thread was an absolute marathon, with multiple posters raising metaphorical bats as the excitement grew for the match.

Both the Demons, who play their home matches in snow, and the Rats, who live in the cool Underground and hadn’t left their home ground in six weeks, were taken aback by the warm weather in the vast open spaces of SFA Park.

It was the Demons who adapted to the conditions first and kicked the opening three goals of the match; while the Swamprats struggled to move the ball forward. Eventually it was star recruit GremioPower who kicked the Rats opening goal, but a quick reply from the Demons extended the margin back to 17 points at the first change.

After using the quarter time break to refresh and reset, SarahSmiles began to drag the Rats back into the contest, kicking the opening two goals of the second quarter; reducing the Demons lead to just five points and ensuring the contest was well and truly alive. In what was turning out to be a surprisingly low-scoring match, the Demons entered half time with a 7-point lead.

In the third quarter, a number of behinds and two goals by LukeParkerno1 gave the Rats the lead for the first time in the match. Another goal to ant555 put the Rats in the box seat heading into the break, but a late Demons goal reduced the Swamprats advantage to just nine points.

Sin City began the final quarter the same way they had begun the third, and with everything on the line continued throwing kitchen sink after kitchen sink at the Demons, with LukeParkerno1’s third goal swelling the Swamprats lead to 20 points.

There was still plenty of time left on the clock, and the Demons used it to storm back into the match. Within a handful of minutes the Swamprats advantage was reduced to just one point. The Demons still had one final chance to score, but a holding-the-ball free kick was awarded and the ball ended with ant555 as the final siren sounded. The Rats won the Season 29 Grand Final by one point!

It was our second premiership in three seasons – all by a combined total margin of just four points. It felt like destiny; and perhaps it was.

A couple of weeks before, the Rats were on the verge of losing a QF against the Roys. After being 40 points behind at 3QT, the Swampies managed to pull off the most improbable come back ever. But that’s another story…

 

[GremioPower]

#4. S29QF, Swamprats - Roys

​

SCS, 12.11:83
ROY, 11.7:73

​

Rats and Roys had played in the same venue just a week before. Despite the locals winning almost from start to finish, the R17 game hadn't been but a close affair between two strong Top-4 sides. The rematch started with a similar script.

It was raining this time, and the visitors drew first blood with two early goals. After a slow start, however, the Rats began to dominate the action. Unfortunately, the dominance wasn’t translated onto the scoreboard. The home side had control over half an hour of qooty. Still, the initial difference had only been cut down from 12 points to 2.

Then, the Roys got better. For most of Q2, the Minor Premiers couldn't get near the goal, while the opposition scored 4 times. At halftime, the Rats were trailing by 16 points. During the main break, all the joy shown by the Rat faithful; prior to the match seemed to have vanished. Little did they know that things were about to get worse; way worse...

The Roys opened the second half with a major. However, as the rain subsided, the Rats began to react. The stadium was rocking again, and the home side took the momentum; cutting the deficit from 22 to just 8 points.

The comeback felt certain, but this is qooty; and qooty can be mischievous, treacherous, and cruel. Against the odds, the qooty gods decided to turn the tide of the match the other way. Instead of a Rats' comeback, suddenly, it was all Roys.

The Gorillas found a goal, and that seemed to have opened the gates of Hell. The visitors became unstoppable. Soon, their lead reached 40 points. They only halted due the siren, whose sound, for those witnessing the massacre, came as a relief.

The thought that another game at home in the next week was inevitable passed through everybody's mind. Still, the qooty gods have a very peculiar sense of humor. One cannot take anything for granted; not even a 40-point 3QT lead.

When the match's last act came, the Rats had once again the control over the actions. However, once again, the dominance wasn’t fully shown on the board. After 10 minutes, the locals had reduced the difference from 40 points to 28 points. That pace wouldn’t be enough.

Then the qooty gods smiled — SarahSmiled. In less than three minutes, in exactly 154 seconds, the Rats scored four goals; two from an inspired SarahSmiles. There were fewer than 9 minutes remaining, and the difference was reduced to less than a goal. This time, however, players wouldn't let the reaction to fall short.

They went on moved by Sparkle's words: "Finals is where we shine." The rain didn't matter. In Sin City, people carry the Sun in their hearts. Sarah, however, had a Supernova inside his chest. With three other score, he finally put the Rats in front for the first time in the entire game. Then, LukeParkerno1 scored a major, crushing any hope that the Roys might still have had and setting the final score.

The final siren sounded. "The Rats won!" Those words echoed amidst the Babel of noises from everywhere on the ground. They all had witnessed it, but no one could believe it. Still, it was true.

There were fewer than 16 minutes remaining to be played, and the locals were trailing by 28 points. The Rats had been struggling to score for the entire game; suffering to adjust for the rainy conditions. Needing 5 unanswered goals in a quarter of hour, the Rats had scored only 6 in the previous 85 minutes of the match.

Still, somehow, in Swamprats fashion, they pulled it off. The Minor Premiers had erased a 40-point 3QT deficit and won.

Improbable comebacks are ingrained into the Rats’ DNA. The club’s first match ever was won in a similar way, after being with the backs on the wall late in the game. But that's another story…

 

[GremioPower]

#3. S06GF, Swamprats - Bears

​

SCS, 14.11:95
LVB, 11.12:78

​

After the heartbreaking loss in S05 Grand Final rematch, the Rats bounced back. The 13-9 record was good enough to put them tied on the top of the Minor Round ladder. However, the Rats ended up in second by percentage, with the Wonders getting the Minor Premiership. With just three rounds to go, both teams had met at the Colosseum, and the Rats lost both the match and their first place.

In order to be able to play its second consecutive Grand Final, Alberton had to face two great challenges. In the way to their first flag ever, The Rats needed to beat the previous two Premiers: the Fighting Furies and the Bombers (then called the BigFooty Bombers).

In the Qualifying Final, the Swampies got the chance to revenge the previous season’s defeat. A penalty suffered by the Furies meant the match would be played at Alberton. That didn’t bother the reigning premiers, who arrived full of confidence:

– time to watch them choke again. (beaver's army)
– Lets go FURIES!!!!!!! Back 2 Back (sante)
– We're BACK!!!! Peaking at the right time. Reigning champs will be hard to beat. (itsintheblood)
– NO CHANGE. WE WIN. You'll see. (metallichris)

However, the hosts were sure it would be different. Toots said it all: “By the time we're through with you you'll wish you'd finished ninth.” And, boy, he was right. Well, at least, for three quarters. A late Fury surge made the final score respectable (123-112), but the revenge had been achieved. Still, it wouldn’t be complete without the flag.

The win gave the side a boost of confidence. In the Preliminary, they simply ran over a tired and confused Bombers. Before the match, ant555 confessed: “i have lost the files that had all our players on it”. It was noticed on the field. Total Power (7 goals) and MrMeaner (4 goals, 11 tackles) took plenty advantage of that and put on a clinic. Alberton won every quarter, finishing the game 9 goals up on the scoreboard: 20.10:130 – 11.10:76.

Only the Las Vegas Bears remained between the Rats and the Glory. The Bears qualified in 7th, but that meant nothing. They arrived in the Grand Final in great form, after winning 10 of their last 11 games; including the Finals. Their only loss? An 8-point defeat in Round 21 at Alberton. So, anything could happen.

The Bears came onto the field without any change and showed their form from the first bounce. In Q1, everything they did worked as planned. For the Rats, who were also unchanged, all went the other way around. At QT, Las Vegas had a 33-point lead. Then, when all were expecting the Bears to finish the game before HT, Alberton reacted. Slowly, but steady, the Rats came back into the game. For the next two periods, they held Las Vegas to just 16 points, while scoring 49. At 3QT, the score was tied – 8.8:56 to 8.8:56.

In the last frame, the Bears tried to keep the pace against Alberton, but, if not for a brief moment when they managed to score 2 consecutive goals and regained the lead, they couldn’t. With 5 minutes remaining, the Rats had a 20-point lead. Alberton wouldn’t score again, and Las Vegas did score three times before the final siren sounded – three behinds. However, even if they had goaled, it wouldn’t have been enough. The Rats were the rightful S06 Premiers!

It was a Qhristmas present for all the Swamprat faithful. Moreover, the win crowned the club’s first three seasons in the SFA. In all of them, the Rats had played Finals; in two, they have reached the Grand Final; and, now, in one, they have won it all. This beginning have cemented Alberton’s place in the league.

The club would fold twice soon after that. Then, it was brought back for S16. After S19, there was a great chance of leaving the league again. If it weren’t for that glorious past, the club may have ceased to exist for good.

However, the SFA community, understanding the value the Swamprats had for the competition, came to the rescue. But that’s another story…

 

[GremioPower]

#2. S24R10, Wonders - Swamprats

by Ant Bear​

WON, 15.16:106
SCS, 18.11:116



On the face of it, there was very little to recommend this game as the second most important game in Swamprat history. A mid-season game in a dismal season in which the Swamprats would claim the wooden spoon is usually anonymous, but one single occurrence in this game united and defined the club.

It delivered a sense of purpose that would reap 6 consecutive preliminary finals. This was the drazah's Match.

Season 24 was the most enduring season of the Rats’ History. The club couldn’t catch a break. Sin City had lost the first 8 games of the season; and we were coming off our owen-breaking win, when we were rocked by the death of a team-mate, drazah.

To make things worse, we became aware of the tragedy only after the teams had already been named. In consultation with administrator Hate, we were told that there could be no late change. The game would go on, simmed with draz on the HFF. We proceeded with heavy hearts.

The match started, and it didn’t take long before the sim Showed what a campaigner it can be:

spookism said:

2 : 1.03 - <<< ChristopHaha is coming on to replace drazah >>

This was after a high-scoring first term, where full-forward Cloud_ had kicked two of the Rat’s 5 goals. With drazah on the bench, we took the lead as Fizzler, MaxMinch and ChristopHaha converted.

However, in the next period, the Sim realised its error and reinstated our friend on the field as full back:

spookism said:

3 : 4.09 - <<< drazah is coming on to replace katmanblue >>

The third term was a see-sawing affair, where the margin never exceeded 10 points either way. Gray Day took all his chances with two majors for the term, as the Wonders squandered countless opportunities to put the game beyond doubt.

As we entered the final term 7 points adrift, calls of #doitfordraz came from across the league. Early goals from gaskin and Ant Bear put the Rats in front; but the team couldn’t hold it on. As it had been the nature of this match, everything should be hard-fought.

The Wonders stayed in touch and actually hit the front at the 17 minute mark. However, the Swamprats were never going to roll over in this game, and some of drazah’s closest mates in ShaunDuggan and MaxMinch converted difficult chances to put us back ahead.

That brought up the opportunity for the Sim to show what a campaigner it can be – in the good sense of the term, if such a thing is possible. The Wonders had a last-ditch attempt to steal the game:

spookism said:

4 : 23.45 {CHB} - Butler has it.
4 : 23.49 {CHB} - In danger.
4 : 23.53 {CHF} - WaLkEr_ThE_StAr takes off.
4 : 23.57 {FF} - That's a real finger-breaker in the direction of dogs105.

But then drazah was there to be the hero of the hour:

spookism said:

4 : 24.01 {FF} - dogs105 is outmarked by drazah.
4 : 24.06 {FB} - The ball is now with drazah.

We wanted to #doitfordraz, but it was him who did it for us. The Rats had won the match in its hardest week ever:

spookism said:

=====================================
SIREN SOUNDS FOR THE END OF QUARTER 4
West Coast Wonders : 15.16.106
Sin City Swamprats : 18.8.116
=====================================

Draz’s heroism aside, the best players for this game were gaskin with 26 touches, and Ant Bear with 19; with special mention to draa, whose 13 touches were all cheered mightily by the massive crowd. Fizzled kicked 3 goals, with Cloud_, Gray Day, MaxMinch, NEGAN, and gaskin each getting a brace.

But one cannot put Draz’s heroism aside. This will always undoubtedly be the drazah’s Match.

Tears were shared that day; understandably so. It left a sense that, despite the early departure of a friend, at least in Sweet, drazah was still around and helping the club. Perhaps the win meant that things were beginning to turn in favour of the Rats. Well, if they were, it didn’t happen that season. The emotional victory against the Wonders had been special, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the spoon.

However, in S25, the qooty gods decided the Rats had suffered enough. The club not only went back to SFA Finals, but back to the Grand Final. But that’s another story…

 

[GremioPower]

#1. S27GF, Bears - Swamprats

by Ant Bear​

LVB, 13.18:96
SCS, 15.9:99



After going so close to that elusive second premiership in S25, and the epic choke in the S26 Preliminary, there was no stopping the Swamprats' charge to the S27 decider under new captain Far Kern. A dramatic one-point loss to the Demons in the Qualifying Final meant that the Rats had to progress through the semi-final – where the Bombers were taken care of – and then through the Preliminary Final against the Warriors; which was won by 20 points.

In our way of Premiership glory, remained only an old foe. Between us and the flag there were the Las Vegas Bears; whom we had defeated for our only previous Premiership in S06.

The game began in warm conditions, after an epic 130-page match thread, where the Yogis and the rest of the league had a fun bantz with the remnants of the legendary Spamrats. Things did not look promising early, as the Bears scooted to a 29-point lead after only 7 minutes of play. The Rats steadied, though, and 2 goals to sataris saw the quarter-time margin at 33 points. [By the way, it was the same QT margin of S06…]

In the second term, we started to play the Swamprat style. Five goals, to GotTheGoodes, sataris, SarahSmiles, philreich and LukeParkerno1, combined with a better defensive effort led by the skipper, saw the margin at halftime at 16 points [just so you all know, that’s 2 points more than in S06]. It was on like Donkey Kong!

The Sim left us alone regarding interchanges for most of the game; of our key players, only Nunez was replaced at halftime.

The script continued in the crucial third term, keeping the Bears goalless whilst SarahSmiles kicked 2 and LukeParkerno1 another. This meant that, astonishingly, we led into the final quarter of S27! [It was tied at 3QT in S06.]

Firestarter slammed home an early major to extend our lead to 10 points, but the Bears were not to be denied. They came storming back with 2 goals, putting them in front, before the brilliant sataris restored our lead. [In S06, we lead by 12, then they got ahead. We took it from there, and it was game over. Unfortunately, here is where the parallels between S06 and S27 end. Well, most of them, at least.]

This time, we couldn’t put the game away for good. A series of agonising Bear behinds followed, before the indefatigable sataris kicked what would prove to be the winner at the 21 minute mark:

Kennedy Parker said:

4 : 21.06 {lFP} - The kick seeks out sataris.
4 : 21.1 {lFP} - reggie upset the marking attempt by sataris.
4 : 21.15 {lFP} - sataris looks downfield.
4 : 21.19 {lFP} - sataris lines up the sticks.

C: Poor kick off the boot but it somehow ended up with @Kirkswan who sends it to @sataris in that pocket! He's lining up for 5!

4 : 21.23 {lFP} - sataris just scrapes it in for a goal.

Las Vegas Bears : 13.18.96
Sin City Swamprats : 15.9.99

C: In the famous words of Anthony Hudson "I see it but I don't believe it!". Sataris has 5 goals, the Swamprats lead by 3. There's 4 minutes to go...

It wasn't quite all over, however. Every Grand Final needs a Leo Barry moment, and it was delivered by Mr Finals himself, ant555

Kennedy Parker said:

4 : 24.34 {rW} - Nobody's checking Farm Boy.
4 : 24.38 {CHF} - A flat punt.

C: Farm Boy tries his luck from long range!

(Two pages later… Seriously!)

Kennedy Parker said:

C: One last roll of the dice for the Bears...

4 : 24.43 {CHF} - But in the way is ant555.

C: ant555 YOU STAR!!!!!!

The Rats had done it again!

In the aftermath, philreich was declared the Deestroy Medallist, but every Rat deserved a heroism trophy:

- sataris with 5 goals was the iceman;​

- Sparkle rucked all day;​

- GotTheGoodes had all the goods;​

- edgie outplayed Reggie in their epic battle series;​

- Power Raid gave out the Gatorade shower;​

- Firestarter was on fire!​

- The twin ants, 555 and Bear, enhanced reputations as finals specialists; and​

- SarahSmiles and LukeParkerno1 booted multiple goals.​

We had done it, and the beer flowed for many months thereafter. It was the club’s second Premiership, after 21 seasons of waiting!

The third wouldn’t take that long to come. Actually, it happened only two seasons later – and not against the Bears. But that’s another story…

 

[GremioPower]

The Top-10 list above is called But That's Another Story. Every write-up ends with that phrase, and each has a link to another story.

Starting with #10, going through the links, it's possible to read all the stories in a different order – the last one being the Bonus, which takes the reader back to #10.

In the end, the reader is back to the beginning. The whole list goes full cycle; all the stories are interconnected.

It's one History.

—
manangatang, Proper Gander, MWPP, Mooch, and Elton Johns Wig
This might interest you.

 

[Ant Bear]

Excellent job, GremioPower

Well researched, and amazing to see some old Swamprats lurking around in here, too

 

[GremioPower]

Excellent job, GremioPower

Well researched, and amazing to see some old Swamprats lurking around in here, too

I appreciate your help and support to the project, Ant Bear.

---
P.S.: Seeing old-timers coming and liking the posts, even if no more than a couple of them, that made all the effort worthy.

We will be back for more in Match #500!

 

[Dingster]

GremioPower this was one of the logo options we were looking at back in the day. Thoughts?

 

[GremioPower]

GremioPower this was one of the logo options we were looking at back in the day. Thoughts?

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