Sport
25 April, 2023
Saints off to winning start
HORSHAM Saints has started their 2023 Wimmera Football League campaign with a hard fought 27-point win over the Warrack Eagles at Coughlin Park on Saturday. It was a tight hustle in the first half with the Saints taking a one-point lead into half...
HORSHAM Saints has started their 2023 Wimmera Football League campaign with a hard fought 27-point win over the Warrack Eagles at Coughlin Park on Saturday.
It was a tight hustle in the first half with the Saints taking a one-point lead into half time. In the second half the Saints played well and went out to win 12.7.79 to 8.4.52.
The clash at Coughlin Park, played in slippery conditions from misty rain falling throughout the day, was tense to the half time break before the home team handled the conditions better in the second half to pull away to claim victory.
Just six points separated the teams at quarter time in the Saints favour before the Eagles kicked four goals to three in the second term to cut the margin to just one point at half time.
Two goals to the Eagles late in the second term gave the visitors momentum heading into the second half but it was the Saints who took control of the match as the Eagles struggled to use the ball efficiently in the slippery conditions when play resumed.
The Saints kicked four goals to two in the third before adding a further three goals to one in the final term that saw the Saints extend its lead as Eagles coach Daniel Bell lamented his team’s poor start to the season.
“We were just pretty poor with our disposal,” he said.
“Time and again we butchered the use of the ball around the ground which wrecked our chances to convert on the scoreboard.
“Our kicking efficiency really hurt us as we turned the ball over on too many occasions which let the opposition in who, to their credit, made us pay for our mistakes,” he said.
The Saints worked hard in the pre-season on bringing more defence to the team and Ben Knott was ecstatic they executed the talk.
“The Eagles got on top of us midway through the second and got a run on. We started out slow and were locked out a bit,” Knott said.
“When the boys became aware of it we put the clamps on and the game turned out into our favour which was positive.”
When asked about the best players, Knott didn’t want to single out anyone but rather explained it was a team effort.
“It was an all-round effort. The leaders stood up and played well and the younger players rose to the challenge and I was happy with the spread.”
Jarrod Garth led the way with four goals while Will Brennan and Mitch Martin had three a-piece and Knott was happy with how the forwards went.
“They are three quality players. Garth is in the team to kick goals and he did that. Brennan and Martin were good enough to get on the end of the footy from their work rate and it was pretty pleasing,” Knott concluded.
The Saints Reserves had a commanding 117-point win, 20.11.131 to 2.2.14. The Under 17’s also had a big 71-point win 12.7.79 to 1.1.7 whilst the Under 14’s went down by 26 points, 3.4.22 to 7.6.48.
At Minyip, Horsham Demons started their 2023 campaign with a 31 point loss to reigning premiers Minyip Murtoa. The Demons kept it tight early and were in the game, but the last quarter the Burras kicked 8 goals to 1 in the final quarter to run away winners 10.8.68 to 5.7.37.
Coach Tyler Blake explained what happened in the last quarter and
“In a way we probably ran out of legs. They had more experience and it showed in the last quarter. We fell away from our structures and with a young team match fitness played a role,” Blake said.
“The first three quarters we were in it to win it and unfortunately fell away in that last quarter which was disappointing.”
Despite the loss, Blake took a lot of positives out of the game as the players executed what they talked about in the pre-season in bringing a bit more defence to the game.
“They were unreal. I was super happy and proud of the way they listened and responded. We put it together for three quarters.”
“We are looking forward to the next few games to make sure we stay consistent. We don’t want to rest on three quarters. We want to keep building and go from there and the signs are positive,” he added.
Blake also said that the whole team played their role.
“I said at the start of the game I don’t care about touches. I wanted the players to play their role on the day and despite the loss everyone did and it’s super positive looking ahead to the future.”
When asked about the standouts on the day, Blake pointed out a couple of players.
“Ben Janetzki and Brody Pope were excellent. Being young it was good to see how composed and great they were. We also had three debutants whom played a role and didn’t look out of place in Sam Janetzki, Jeremy Kemp and Tyge Nelson.”
The Reserves lost by 73 points, 2.1.13 to 12.14.86. It was good news, however, for the juniors with the Under 17’s and Under 14’s keeping Minyip goalless with a 72 and 60 point win respectively.
Dimboola has secured an opening round win in Wimmera Football League after a tough season opener against Nhill on Saturday.
The Roos claimed a 12-point victory over the Tigers in heavy conditions at the Recreation Reserve to kickstart their 2023 campaign.
A barnstorming final term was the catalyst behind the win as the Roos kicked eight goals in the final term to turn a 30-point three quarter time deficit into its 12-point win.
Early, it was the Tigers who settled best through the work of Frazer Driscoll and Lucas Dahlenburg who helped set up a commanding lead at three quarter time.
The Tigers led by 13 points at quarter time before slightly extending its advantage to 15 points at half time before kicking a further three goals and holding the Roos goalless for the third term.
But it was the Roos who jumped out of the blocks and came to life at the start of the final term and kicked the first three goals to reduce the deficit to two goals 10 minutes into the final stanza.
A snap from Sam Godden was followed by another major to Matt Rosier from close range and when recruit Michael Graham converted after a strong mark, the Roos had created a huge shift in momentum.
However the Tigers were able to find an answer through recruit Jack Mason who converted from 35 metres to extend the lead to 19 points as the Roos again went to work from the centre of the ground.
It was this work that saw the Roos dominate play as they held the ball in their forward line for the remainder of the quarter as Godden kicked his second with a clever snap from the pack before recruit Aisea Raikiwasa kicked his first goal in green and gold to cut the margin to six points.
An immediate centre clearance saw the ball with Jono Ross who converted the first of three goals for the term to level scores as play entered the time on period.
Ross then put the Roos in front for the first time in the match when he converted from close range as the Tigers worked to answer with a rare entry into its forward line.
But the Roos defence was up to the challenge and cleared swiftly and moved the ball to the man of the final term Ross, who converted on the siren for his third goal to put the Roos in front by 12 points and celebrating its opening win of the season.
Ross was a clear best throughout the match with his four goals, finishing off the work of ruckman Jackson O’Neill and midfielders Godden and Rosier, while returnee Ryan Bell settled in well with recruit Raikiwasa.
The Roos will now prepare for a big Anzac weekend battle with Warrack Eagles as Warracknabeal’s Anzac Park celebrates a 100 year anniversary.
Warrack Eagles fell short in its season opener suffering a 27-point loss to Horsham Saints at Coughlin Park.
The clash at Coughlin Park, played in slippery conditions from misty rain falling throughout the day, was tense to the half time break with only one point separating the sides before the home team handled the conditions better in the second half to pull away to claim victory.
Just six points separated the teams at quarter time in the Saints favour before the Eagles kicked four goals to three in the second term to cut the margin to just one point at half time.
Two goals to the Eagles late in the second term gave the visitors momentum heading into the second half but it was the Saints who took control of the match as the Eagles struggled to use the ball efficiently in the slippery conditions when play resumed.
The Saints kicked four goals to two in the third before adding a further three goals to one in the final term that saw the Saints extend its lead as Eagles coach Daniel Bell lamented his team’s poor start to the season.
Reigning premier Minyip-Murtoa is on the board after coming from behind in the final term to claim a 31-point victory over Horsham at Minyip.
Wet, slippery conditions saw just three goals scored in the first half as the Demons led by three points before extending its lead to nine points when they added a further two goals to one in the third term.
But the Burras came to life in the final term to dominate play kicking eight straight goals to the Demons 1.2 and turn its three quarter time deficit into a big victory.
The final game of the opening round saw a dominant win to Southern Mallee Giants in their clash against Stawell at Central Park.
An emphatic 86-point victory has the Giants on top of the table after setting up a big day on the field in the opening term kicking five goals to one before finishing the match with another five unanswered goals.
The Giants dominated the match with Angus McSweyn kicking five goals in a best on ground display, teaming well with Luke Mahony and recruits Billy Lloyd and Liam Nelson.
The final game of the opening round saw a dominant win to Southern Mallee Giants in their clash against Stawell at Central Park.
An emphatic 86-point victory has the Giants on top of the table after setting up a big day on the field in the opening term kicking five goals to one before finishing the match with another five unanswered goals.
The Giants dominated the match with Angus McSweyn kicking five goals in a best on ground display, teaming well with Luke Mahony and recruits Billy Lloyd and Liam Nelson.