Football
10 April, 2026
HDFNL 2026 preview: Changing tide for Baggies
The Stawell Swifts enter the 2026 Horsham District season as one of the biggest unknowns.
The Stawell Swifts enter the 2026 Horsham District season as one of the biggest unknowns.
Taking over from Brett Hargreaves, who has stayed on as a player, Sibson brings plenty of experience to the role, having coached in both the Mininera and District Football League and Northern Territory Football League.
Having spent eight years at nearby Great Western, Sibson said the opportunity to coach the Swifts was a natural transition.
“I've always had some really good friends who played at Swifts," Sibson said.
"So when the 2025 season wrapped up, things aligned in the sense that I think Great Western wanted to go down a different path with their coaching structure, while the Swifts were looking for a new coach."
As well as the coaching change, the Swifts encountered some player turnover, including the losses of Jordan Motton, Joseph Martin, Jesse Portelli and 2025 club best and fairest Angus Murray.
Despite the exits, Sibson is excited by the addition of experienced recruits, including Justin Puruantatameri, Daniel Clee and Thomas Motlop from the NTFL.
“List turnover is something that happens in country football these days, but we wish the guys who have left the best,” Sibson said.
“In saying that, we have some good additions to the group, like Thomas Motlop, a very experienced and well-credentialed player.
“With the players going from the group, we have become quite young as a list, so guys like Tom Motlop and Daniel Clee will bring valuable experience and a background in high-level footy.
“Justin Puruantatameri, he’s a small forward that’s pretty lively and is someone who will give us some X-factor and a bit of excitement when he gets near the ball.
“Hayden Hamilton and Hamish Smith also come in and bring some good Wimmera league experience.”
Sibson has been impressed by what he has seen in some of the returning younger players.
“Jack Cann has come through the Swifts’ junior program, played a bit of senior footy the last couple of years, and he looks to have stepped up to another level, particularly in the leadership space,” he said.
“He's certainly taken a lot of ownership at training.
“There’s also the two Wickham brothers and Bourke Nicholls, and they’ve all had really good preseasons.”
With new structures and styles being implemented, Sibson is cautious about setting lofty expectations for the group, identifying their first two games as a strong test of where they stand early in the season.
“Our first two opponents are last year’s grand finalists, so we’re going to get a really good understanding of where things are at,” he said.
“We won’t put a floor or ceiling on how the season may play out.
“The goals for us will be implementing our new game-style early on and sticking to our methods and structures.”