'It made the move worth it': Lavington boy's SANFL dream comes true

Former Lavington forward Alex Swinnerton's gamble to join Norwood over the off-season has reaped the ultimate reward. File pictures

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But after helping Norwood produce a stunning SANFL grand final comeback against Sturt, the 20-year-old knows exactly why he took the chance.

The former Murray Bushranger played in the Redlegs' thrilling 14-point premiership victory, overcoming an 18-point three-quarter-time deficit with a remarkable final term of 5.3 to one point.

For Swinnerton, the final siren brought an overwhelming sense of relief and disbelief.

"My initial reaction was 'we did it'," Swinnerton said.

"I was pretty speechless and it just solidified my decision to make the move from Lavington to Adelaide at the start of the season.

"It certainly made the move worth it."

Alex Swinnerton in action for Lavington in the under-8s in 2018. File picture

Swinnerton had spent his entire junior career at Lavington, joining the club as an under-6 and remaining there until his move to South Australia.

He made his senior debut in 2024 under Panthers coach Adam Schneider, who would ultimately play an important role in convincing him to chase an opportunity at a higher level.

"I started in the under-6s at Lavington and have been at the club up until this year," Swinnerton said.

"Every coach I had helped me through the junior grades and Adam Schneider was huge for me last year.

"Obviously Adam played a similar position to me during his AFL career and he helped develop me a lot and worked closely with me last year.

"He definitely helped me most with my forward craft."

Alex Swinnerton said Lavington coach Adam Schneider (pictured) encouraged him to make the move to Norwood over the off-season. File picture

Schneider could have easily encouraged Swinnerton to remain at Lavington, particularly given the club's desire to retain its young talent.

Instead, he urged the player to test himself.

"It was a pretty big decision for me at the time and I spoke to a lot of people who are close to me," Swinnerton said.

"I had a fair few chats with Adam because everyone at Lavington wanted me to stay.

"But Adam encouraged me to chase my dream and backed me in, which I'm grateful for, and I guess it has paid off a little bit so far.

"If Adam had tried to hold on to all the young talent the club had, Lavington would be in a very good spot.

"But to his credit, Adam encourages his players to challenge themselves at a higher standard."

Swinnerton's decision required plenty of sacrifice.

Moving to Adelaide meant leaving behind family and friends and, for the first time, living away from home.

Fortunately, he had a familiar face to make the trip interstate with him.

Young North Albury forward Josh Murphy made the move to Norwood this season and shares a house with Alex Swinnerton. File picture

Former North Albury player Josh Murphy also joined Norwood, with the pair sharing a house during the season.

"Definitely moving away from family and friends," Swinnerton said when asked about the biggest sacrifice.

"I was lucky in a way that Josh Murphy left North Albury and joined Norwood as well.

"We are living together and that made the move easier, having someone to move in with that you are already mates with.

"It was the first time that I have been out of home, so it was a bit of an eye-opener in that regard."

Alex Swinnerton celebrates with Josh Murphy after Norwood's grand final victory over Sturt. Picture supplied

Murphy made his Norwood debut in round one and played nine senior games, but was unable to force his way back into the side for the finals.

Swinnerton's own transition was not without its challenges.

An Achilles injury delayed his full training until February and he also endured the end of a long-distance relationship after moving interstate.

"I did struggle a little bit early because I ended up splitting up with my partner because it was a long-distance relationship," he said.

"During that time, I was a bit uneasy with my decision."

Those doubts soon disappeared.

Alex Swinnerton in action for the Redlegs. Picture supplied

Swinnerton settled into the Norwood environment and gradually embraced the demands of SANFL football.

"Everyone at the club was welcoming from day one," he said.

"Once I commenced full training and got familiar with the group, I got to know everyone a lot better towards the end of pre-season.

"I'm very grateful to the playing group for welcoming me."

He also quickly discovered just how significant a commitment was required at SANFL level.

Alex Swinnerton warming up with some of his teammates. Picture supplied

Norwood trains four times a week before playing on Sundays, with most players also working full-time.

"We probably spend as much time at the club every week as an AFL player would," Swinnerton said.

"But most players also work a 40-hour week.

"So it is a pretty full-on week. It is another level of commitment compared to the O and M."

The physical demands also surprised him.

"Compared to when I played a few games of VFL for the GWS Giants the previous season, the players in the SANFL are a lot stronger," he said.

"Most players in the SANFL are well developed and you don't get a lot of skinny kids my size running around.

"In the VFL there seems to be a lot of younger players."

Alex Swinnerton said it was an unreal atmosphere in the grand final with a crowd of 38,000. Picture supplied

The crowds were another eye-opener.

Almost 38,000 people attended the SANFL grand final, a figure that dwarfed anything Swinnerton had experienced in the Ovens and Murray.

"The crowd was crazy compared to the O and M, which is to be expected," he said.

"It was pretty surreal playing in front of a crowd that big.

"It was an awesome experience and an unreal atmosphere."

Norwood's passionate supporter base had made an impression throughout the season, with Swinnerton experiencing home-and-away crowds of more than 5000 and an estimated 8000 for an early-season clash against Sturt.

"I feel fortunate to be at Norwood because they have got one of the bigger supporter bases in the competition," he said.

Alex Swinnerton plays as a small forward for Norwood with his pressure one of his biggest assets. Picture supplied

That support culminated in the grand final, where Swinnerton played his role as a small forward.

He finished with a goal but was typically self-critical of his performance.

"It certainly wasn't my best game," he said.

"I kicked a goal but I had a few other looks on goal that I would have liked back.

"But I was just happy to be a part of it.

"Playing as a small forward, applying pressure has been a big part of my role all season.

"I didn't have that many tackles in the grand final either but I just tried to play my role as best I could."

Norwood staged a stunning comeback in the grand final against Sturt after trailing by three goals at the final break. Picture supplied

Norwood had looked in serious trouble at three-quarter-time, but Swinnerton said there was still belief among the playing group.

"There was certainly some doubt in some players' minds that we could mount a comeback," he said.

"But there was also a lot of belief because we were in a similar situation against Sturt in round nine and were able to overrun them on that occasion as well."

About 15 family members and six friends travelled to Adelaide to watch Swinnerton become a premiership player.

Among them was his father Jamie, who played locally for both Lavington and Mitta United before a knee injury ended his career at 32 while playing for the Mountain Men.

"Dad was pretty emotional after the grand final," Swinnerton said.

"I think because he missed out on playing in a winning grand final and then got to see his son win one, he was over the moon and pretty proud of me."

The premiership has also given Swinnerton a greater appreciation of Norwood's extraordinary history.

Coach Jade Sheedy, who boasts two premierships at Woodville, a Magarey Medal and a 2002 flag as a Sturt player, has also helped shape his first season.

But it is the club's history that has perhaps left the biggest impression.

"It means a lot," Swinnerton said of the premiership.

"It is pretty sentimental and it's not until you get over to Adelaide that you really realise how rich the football history is in South Australia.

"Norwood boasts a rich history in the SANFL and every wall you look at when you're at the club is full of memorabilia.

Alex Swinnerton in action for Lavington. File picture

"It's pretty crazy knowing my name is going to be on the wall forever now being a premiership player.

"I haven't really let that soak in yet but I certainly regard it as a pretty big honour."

And for Swinnerton, the honour is made even more significant by where the journey began.

From an under-6 at Lavington to a Norwood premiership player in his first season, the gamble has already delivered a reward he could scarcely have imagined when he left home.

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