Untitled - Swan Districts Football Club

Ames was rock solid all season long in a defence that was under
siege and that had to deal with the absence of Wayde Twomey,
Matthew Spencer, Travis Casserly and Paul Richardson from the
premiership team of 2010, and was also without Luke Pratt after
he required a knee reconstruction.
However, Ames never wilted in his consistent form that saw him
fighting against the odds to try and repel attack after attack from
the opposition.
In the end, his form was rewarded by representing Western
Australia in the State game win over Queensland and then by
winning the Swan Medal for the first time as the fairest and best
player for the season with Swan Districts.
He claimed the award ahead of Tom Roach, Jarrhan Jacky, Graham
Jetta and Kyle Hams who were among the players to also stand
up strong in a tough season for the reigning premiers.
Given his enormous passion for the Swan Districts Football Club
having grown up in Bassendean supporting the club, coming right
through the junior ranks and now having played in a premiership
and earned life membership, the Swan Medal is something he’s
tremendously proud of.
Considering he has now played 156 games in the black-and-white
jumper, represented WA twice, won a Swan Medal and been a
premiership player, there’s no question the 28-year-old is forming
quite a legacy that will see him go down as a great of the club.
While the Swan Medal is something that Ames will always be
tremendously proud of, as will being a life member having played
his 150th game during the 2011 season, the premiership medal
of last year will always be the greatest thing he has achieved in
his glittering career.
“I do play football to enjoy the camaraderie on the field and
to feel good about playing football when you are in the rooms
afterwards,” Ames said.
“You play football to have a good time, enjoy the team spirit and
win. Any personal accolades that come through your endeavours
are an added bonus and you really play to win premierships.”
The Swan Districts Football Club means a tremendous amount
to Ames as well and it has been a massive part of his life. He also
hopes that everyone else associated with the club has got plenty
out of watching everything he has now been able to achieve in
his career.
“Every player wants to achieve 100 games at a club and to have
the opportunity to keep on going to play 150 of course it’s the
next milestone in the rack,” he said.
“The Swan Districts Football Club is very close to me both in terms
of physically and emotionally, and any time I pull the black-andwhite
jumper on up to 150 games and beyond is special to me.
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SWAN DISTRICTS FOOTBALL CLUB 2011 ANNUAL REPORT & YEARBOOK
“Hopefully everyone that is associated with Swan Districts enjoys
me pulling on the jumper as well because it is a great place to
be around, and it has given me some great opportunities for 11
years to when I started playing colts football.”
Ames was also proud to reach the 150-game mark in the same
season as captain Josh Roberts, and now the pair are sure to
continue on towards 200 games, and given their form and age
there is no reason they both can’t get there.
“Once you get to 150 games, just like in anything, you have to set
some goals and mine is to definitely reach that 200 mark,” Ames
said.
“Travis (Edmonds) played his 250th game in one of my early years
and I know that in today’s football it is going to be very hard to
get to 200 but I aspire to do that. It’s a goal that makes you keep
persevering and I will give it my best crack. I think Josh is thinking
the same as well.
“We’ve both been through a lot together and it’s a credit to the
club for finding the roles that we are comfortable to perform at
our best in. I guess it’s a credit to us as well to stick at it through
some hard times and really getting on board the good times to
make sure we make the most of it.”