Sport
6 May, 2026
Thunder storms home over Saints
Horsham Saints have experienced their first loss of the season at the hands of Southern Mallee Thunder, 6.7 (43) to 6.17 (53).
The Saints dominated the first quarter and were up by 17 points at quarter-time.
Thunder coaching director Jake Bridges was full of praise for the opposition side from Saturday.
"Credit to Horsham, they brought pressure early and made it hard for us to get our game going," Bridges said.
"We were a little off with our connection and execution, but I thought our effort and intent to stay in the fight were important."
But the Thunder worked their way back into the match by half-time and the deficit was just five points by the big break.
Fast forward a further quarter and the Horsham side had ncreased that lead going into the final quarter to nine points.
"It was a real grind," Bridges said, reflecting on the middle quarters.
"The game tightened up and both sides had their moments.
"I felt we started to connect better around the contest and field position and our ability to stay composed in those moments kept us in the game."
In the final quarter, it was the Thunder who finished more strongly, adding 2.9 to their score compared to just a couple of points from the Saints.
Bridges said it was the side's ability to stay connected and trust their system that was the difference.
"We kept hunting the next contest, kept working for each other, and our intent around the ball and in transition lifted," he said.
Sam Clyne and Will Brennan gave their best efforts for the Horsham side while Edward Lindon and Matty Lloyd were the better players for the Thunder.
Lloyd was the top goal scorer for the winners with a couple of goals, while Zac Peake booted three for the losing side.
Bridges said the side frequently spoke about being relentless in the way they worked, learning their way through games and sticking together in momentum swings.
"I thought that showed late," he said.
When asked who he thought were the better players for the Thunder, he was full of praise for the entire side.
"It was a genuine team performance," Bridges said.
"We had contributors across every line, and that’s what pleased me most: our willingness to work for each other, keep learning and keep competing.
"(As always, there's) plenty to improve, but we're really proud of the heart and resilience the group showed.
"But credit to Horsham for the contest they brought."
This week, conquering Stawell is on the list of jobs for the Thunder, but Bridges said it was an opportunity for the side to behave how they wanted as a team and to test their system against a group that hadn't yet been defeated.
"It's early in the season so we want to continue to adjust as we need and learn through each game," Bridges said.
"We will focus on a few of their key movers and link this to our defensive structure.
"But it's a great opportunity to take another step forward this week."