Match One: New England Nomads 22.19.151 def Gunnedah Bulldogs 8.7.55 at Bellevue Oval
The dominance of the Nomads continued to start the 2013 Tamworth AFL season when they dispatched the Bulldogs in Armidale on Saturday afternoon. Leading all day, the boys from Armidale made it 5 straight wins to start the season to sound yet another warning to the other clubs in the TAFL that they mean business this year.
The Nomads took the early in this match and were never headed by the determined Bulldogs outfit. The Dogs were not helped when captain Andrew George suffered a serious knee injury early in the match and could not return to the field. The Nomads impressive running game was hard to stop from the outset and they were more efficient in front of goals compared to their efforts earlier in the season.
Zac Economou pushed forward and was a focal point up front for the Nomads who were missing their twin towers of Stubbs and Boatfield. Jed Ellis-Cluff continued on from his good start in front of goal this season by slotting another three, as did Shannan McDonald. Hoani Morrell was again in the Nomads best with a consistent performance, while Economou and Luke Raymond rounded out the best for the Nomads.
Veteran Chris Gee was again the main avenue to goal for the Dogs, kicking three, with Ryan Cooper the only other multiple goal kicker with two. Michael Kennedy again showed his worth across the field with a great performance for the Dogs, with Damian Baldwin and coach Scott Hardy also amongst the best.
With the rep weekend off this weekend, the Dogs will return home to face the Roos in a fortnight, while the Nomads will face the Swans at home on May 25th.
Match Two: Tamworth Kangaroos 29.22.196 def Muswellbrook Cats 11.5.71 at Number One Oval
The Roos posted a big win on Saturday afternoon in a fitting farewell to Tim Cotter who has announced his retirement from footy. Cotter was the 2008 Tony Gilles Medallist and a premiership winner with the Roos that same year, before coaching the Roos to the 2011 Premiership as well. His leadership on and off the field will be sorely missed by the Roos, as will his on field performances following an impressive 14-goal haul on Saturday afternoon.
The Roos dominated this match from start to finish over the travel-weary Cats. Their disposal by hand and foot was very impressive through the middle, providing many opportunities for the attacking half who, led by Cotter, were nearly unstoppable for the Cats defence. By quarter time, the home side had opened up a commanding 7 goal lead that would prove to be a winning break.
The second quarter saw a spirited comeback for the boys from Muswellbrook, again kicking straight and registering 3 majors for the quarter. If nothing else, coach Paul Duncan can be impressed with how his troops have been efficient in front of the big sticks this season. However, they were unable to stop the flow going the other way, with the Roos piling on consecutive 7 goal quarters to start the match and effectively put the result to bed at the half when leading by 73 points.
The second half saw the Cats continue to battle hard and be rewarded for their endeavour on the footy, when they managed another 7 majors for the half. However, they continued to allow points at the other end, with Cotter showing off a range of skills in his last match in the blue and white. The final margin of 125 points would have been disappointing for the Cats, however they can be encouraged that they did manage their best score for the season so far.
Cotter finished with a season high 14 goals and best on field honours. Matt Hoadge managed to go forward and kick 3 himself, with Alex Hudson returning from injury to slot 4 goals. Hudson was also among the best for the victors, with Chris Rankmore also prominent. For the Cats, Cameron Davis, Nick Botrill, Cameron Benkovic, Jackson Bower and Brady Benkovic all kicked two goals. Mark McLaughlin was their best, with Brian Martin and Cameron Davis also strong.
After the rep bye, the Roos will head west to Gunnedah to take on the Bulldogs, while the Cats will hope to finally have a home game hosting the Saints.
Match Three: Inverell Saints 17.13.115 def Tamworth Swans 4.5.29 at Varley Oval
The final match of the weekend saw the Saints get onto the expanse of Varley Oval for the first time in 2013. The Swans made the trip north without a win so far this season but showed tremendous spirit to make the Saints work for the entire 4 quarters. The final margin of 86 points was hardly an indication of the tightness of the contest but the Swans still could not manage one in the W column.
The match started with the Saints having much of the ball in the early contests and dominating the forward 50 entries. They were wasteful in front of goals at times with a couple of ambitious shots on goal, while the Swans were able to make the most of their entries forward with a goal with their first entry into the 50. However, the Saints settled and had the best of the quarter with a 28 point lead at the first change.
The second quarter was one of the stranger quarters in TAFL history. Only 1 goal was kicked, and while the Saints were again wasteful, neither side was getting on top in general play with defence the winner for the quarter. The Saints kicked that lone goal for the stanza and extended their lead to 39 points at the long change with the game far from being played on their terms.
The match settled back into a healthy flow in the third quarter, with both attacks starting to get back on top. The Saints forward line finally started to fire in particular and they piled on 6 goals for the quarter to the Swans three. With a 64 point lead at the last change, the Saint carried on with the job in the last and pushed the final margin out to 86 points for a well deserved win.
The Saints were again led by Mike Gould, who kicked 7 goals in another strong performance. Chris Whitton, Hamish Bird and Toby Tollis were the also multiple goal kickers with 2 each. KJ Te Velde, Gould and Justin Pay were the best for the winners. For the Swans, they had four individual goal kickers, all with one each.
Will Priest was their best, with Jordan Sharpe and Paul Tapper also strong.
Following the week off, the Saints make the long trip to Muswellbrook to face the Cats, while the Swans will head north again to face the Nomads.
Last Modified on 13/05/2013 21:33