WOORINEN’S footballers will train at Alan Garden Memorial Reserve on Mondays and Wednesdays for the rest of the year, while the Tigers’ netball teams will prepare on Thursday nights at Swan Hill’s basketball stadium this coming Thursday, and possibly for the remainder of the season.
The AFL Central Murray commission has also leant the competition’s Interleague trailer to the club for the use of training gear, following Thursday night’s fire that destroyed the Tigers’ clubrooms.
While Woorinen’s Round 15 home game against Lake Boga will be moved south, plans for the Tigers’ Round 17 match against Koondrook Barham have not yet been finalised.
Woorinen is hoping to play the game in Swan Hill on a Sunday, using it as a major fundraiser as the club plans to rebuild its facilities.
Tigers coach Marcus DeMaria said yesterday he was proud of his senior side’s effort to defeat Kerang on its home ground. The Tigers’ win was just the second time in four seasons the visiting team has left Riverside Park with the four points.
“You just don’t know how players will react in a situation like that. It was an emotional day yesterday for the club and it was a fantastic effort to come together and for the boys to get themselves up for the game,” he said.
“The guys were absolutely amazing.”
DeMaria said the coaching staff had been rewarded with a four-quarter commitment.
“We identified that we needed to pressure hard over four quarters. Our tackle count was the highest it’s been all year,” he said.
While DeMaria was worried when the Blues kicked two unanswered goals at the start of the third, his side held tough.
“Our boys bounced back. It was a top effort from everyone involved,” he said.
DeMaria said the support from the broader footballing community had overwhelmed the Tigers.
“Yesterday Kerang donated their gate raffle and a couple of the match balls to the footy club and we’re very grateful to that,” he said.
“We have had every Central Murray club and a couple of Golden Rivers clubs get in touch with us, willing to lend a hand.
“We’ve also had support from [former AFL player manager] Ricky Nixon and the AFL Central Murray commission.”
DeMaria said while the focus was on Saturday’s results, football clubs were more than just wins and losses.
“We go out there and compete hard on the Saturday but in the end there’s more to the footy club than just the match on a Saturday,” he said.
“There’s a whole community involved and families get together. There’s 100 years of memories.”
DeMaria said the Tigers would “keep moving forward”.
“We’ll stick together. If any club can get through it, Woorinen is definitely a club to push through adversity and come out on top.”
