COHUNA bounced back from last round’s disappointing loss with a 73-point victory over Koondrook-Barham.
The Kangas kicked five goals to the Raiders’ two in the opening quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Cohuna’s midfield was dominant, but missed opportunities near goal, running out 17.14 (116) to 7.1 (43) winners.
Kangas coach Tyson Findlay praised the team’s cohesion and hard work in the two weeks since their round 1 loss, but warned against complacency and urged his players to focus on their recovery and preparation for the upcoming games, including the next tough match against Lake Boga.
“Bringing the younger guys in gave us a little bit of energy,” Findlay said.
“We worked hard for each other, we ground it out, we rotated and we worked on our team structures.”
The Raiders failed to score in the second quarter as they struggled to make inroads against Cohuna’s defences and went to the half-time break trailing by 61 points, despite strong efforts by Mitchell Christensen and Scott Wood.
The Kangas kicked five goals to the Raiders’ one in the third term, as the home team faced the possibility of a second straight loss of more than 100 points.
However, the home side showed improvement in the final quarter, kicking four goals to the Kangas’ one and keeping the ball in their forward half of the ground for much of the last term.
Joel Helman was back to his best, dominating the game out of the middle with his usual attack on the ball and run and flair through the midfield.
Defenders Tom Metherell and Zac Poole were other strong contributors in the Kangas’ win, while Will Thrum and Jack Donat were constantly in the action, with their outside speed a constant feature in Cohuna’s play throughout the afternoon.
Along with Christensen and Wood, who battled hard in defence all afternoon, the Raiders were also well served by Will Lake, Harley Burmeister-Lyons, Jack Thrum and midfielder Dom Cirillo.
After the Raiders’ tough opening fortnight to the season, they take on Tyntynder, another team yet to taste victory this season.
For Cohuna, a big test awaits in hosting the undefeated Lake Boga, before testing themselves in a grand final rematch against reigning premiers Kerang in a fortnight’s time.
FINAL SIREN
| KOONDROOK BARHAM | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 7.1 | 43 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COHUNA | 5.6 | 11.8 | 16.11 | 17.14 | 116 |
VOTES
3 – Joel Helman (Cohuna)
2 – Will Thrum (Cohuna)
1 – Tom Metherell (Cohuna)
