Football
14 April, 2026
Nhill edge out Thunder
A big crowd gathered at Davis Park to witness Nhill topple the Thunder.
It was a pleasing win for co-coach Jake McQueen, who said he couldn't ask for a better victory.
"To win on our home deck, round one, in front of our past players, grand opening, Tom Mitchell playing, (I) couldn't ask for a better win, and I am stoked," McQueen said.
It was a relatively close encounter for the first half, with Nhill holding a four-point lead at halftime.
But after the big break, Nhill came out firing, outscoring their opposition to eventually claim the win 6.15 (51) to the Thunder 6.7 (43).
Wallace Wheaton was the only multiple-goal scorer for Nhill, with two, while Matty Lloyd was the Thunder's leading goal kicker, with three.
The winners were served well by Lachlan Gill, Liam Albrecht and Mitchell Dahlenburg, while for the losing side, it was Lloyd, Harry McLeod and William Page who led the way.
Nhill were bolstered by the inclusion of Tom Mitchell, former AFL player and Brownlow medallist, who played for the side as part of AIA Australia's Do It For Life campaign.
McQueen acknowledged Mitchell's efforts after the game, both on and off the field.
"(Tom) was great," McQueen said.
"He came down and spoke to all the juniors, so for them to experience that, and for us out on the field, his leadership and knowledge, it was just instrumental.
"I tried to feed off him as much as I could, both knowledge-wise and with the ball; he's a good little giver, so we couldn't be happier with how he presented himself and what he brought to us."
After the game, McQueen's co-coach, Trevor Ryan, admitted the game was a slog, but his side dug in when needed physically.
In an honest reflection, he also admitted there were moments during the game that fell short of their standard, including their ball movement.
"As frustrating as it is to come out of a game where we know we could have done better as a team, we got the win," Ryan told his players after the match.
"Round one is an important match to win, but unfortunately, the way the draw is, we have a couple of weeks off, so we have to go back to the grind and work ourselves hard so we are ready for round two in three weeks."