EXPECTATIONS were great from both camps leading into the encounter between Woorinen and Tyntynder on Saturday.
The Tigers were on a roll and the Bulldogs were out to atone for a very disappointing fade out in their last outing against Swan Hill.
But the outcome was dismal as the host club were very disappointing, particularly in that vital first quarter when, for at least 15 minutes, they were struggling to find the ball in space.
When Woorinen did find it the Tigers repeatedly butchered their possessions and coughed it up to the clean handling of the Bulldogs.
Lachy Carroll produced a scintillating period of football in the first term, much to the rapture of the Bulldog faithful who were waiting on this day.
The ball seemed to chase Carroll wherever he decided to run and his efforts in that first term were instrumental in getting the Bulldogs off to a magnificent start.
Also the mercurial Kayle Kirby was about to set himself up for a magnificent game.
After a blistering first term, the Woorinen brains trust certainly put the clamps on Carroll but they could not contain David Andrivon whose power around the stoppages was constant.
Andrivon fed off the dominance of Jack Beaton in the ruck who must have won 90 percent of the ball up contests and in actual fact the Tyntynder side dominated most lines for most of the day.
Let’s look at the real story of the day and ask how good Kayle Kirby is, and how good could he become. This young man has all the attributes to become a real football champion.
At just 16, he shows maturity beyond his years. He is a marking genius, he has pace to burn, he is a one-grab player, and he exhibits very highly developed team-first thinking.
This match was virtually over by the first change. The Tigers were out of the contest but, while under-skilled, they remained willing competitors.
Woorinen is a great club, a true community club, and the Tigers go out of their way to accommodate everyone who visits their home ground. They will recover and move forward as they always do.
The Bulldogs need to realise their potential, as they have the talent and skill to challenge the very best.
For more on this week’s local footy grab a copy of The Guardian (June 1, 2015).
