The long-anticipated first round of the 2025 season kicked off with a triple header at Howard Dawson Reserve, with the canteen buzzing, The Furnace singing, and plenty of new faces getting their first taste of the famously bouncy turf.

In our brand-new weekly segment (or until I give up writing) for 2025, we’ll be breaking down the weekend’s results, highlighting the highs, the lows, and of course, the classic Sunday League shenanigans!

The day began with the Thirds taking on Old Trinity. In chaotic scenes before kick-off, Trinity arrived without their kits, shorts, or socks. They were forced to wear Swinburne’s away shirts along with spare white shorts and socks.

A disasterclass for Old Trinity in Round 1, but a perfectly normal sight at the lowest levels of Victorian football.

Unfortunately for the Thirds, the match itself didn’t go to plan, falling 4-0 to the visitors despite the pre-game drama.

At 1pm, the Seniors kicked off their season in a tense and physical encounter. Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances in a hard-fought battle, and a 0-0 draw probably reflected the game fairly.

It was a cagey season opener, with plenty of room for improvement.

The Reserves rounded out the day in style, producing a strong 3-1 win to the delight of the home crowd. With a full side featuring plenty of fresh faces, Swinburne’s newest recruits made an immediate impact, leading to a vocal ‘Swinburne’s on fire’ to sound off the day.

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Sunday also marked the debut of Swinburne FC’s new active supporter group, The Furnace. Positioned to the right of the home team bench, The Furnace draped their flags, roped off a section with cones and brought non-stop noise for 270 minutes.

The tone has been set for the rest of the season.

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