MACORNA kicked seven last quarter goals to defeat Moulamein by 43 points in the opening match of the 2013 Golden Rivers Football League (GRFL) season at Macorna on Saturday.
The game resembled a stop-start affair, with the final margin arguably flattering the locals, as the first three terms had been close.
The afternoon bade well for the Swans, despite the defeat.
The New South Wales side showed potential and tenacity in just about equal measure, let down by some defensive errors and not being able to consistently translate field territory into scoreboard pressure.
At the other end, Macorna capitalised on said errors, most notably from kick-ins after behinds were registered.
Yet only in the last 20 minutes or so was Moulamein less competitive than coach Craig Burrell would have liked them to be.
Earlier, the Swans showed off a good group of tall midfielders, including Ben Booth, Rob Lowing and Jim Gorey, who were also more than handily agile around the ball.
The Tigers, with such a congested centre corridor to work their way through in the first term, tried to settle with the football and maintain a methodical, direct approach, but it wasn’t made easy thanks to the mass of Moulamein tacklers.
But there were signs of life — and hope — with the likes of Jordan Simpson displaying some genuine midfield presence and moving the ball forward at every chance, especially via hand passes.
Mick Rowe also offered a safe pair of hands in the conditions, which, while generally mild if cloudy, also included a frustrating breeze, which didn’t do anything to make Macorna boss Wayne Mitrovic’s long-ball aim a reality until late in the day.
For more on this story see Wednesday’s edition of The Guardian (April 17, 2013).
