Round seven at the Woorinen Recreation Reserve was a low scoring, pressure driven game of footy that ebbed and flowed back and forth.
The Tigers were feeling the pressure after last weekend’s devastating loss, as the Swans played a high pressure, competitive game of football. It was a struggle to create flow and successful passages of play as they both battled to get ball out of the pack and work it down the field. The wind was their fiercest opponent on the day as both Woorinen and Swan Hill fought with the breeze to make their scoring attempts stick.
The Tigers kicked the opening two goals of the game, while the Swans finished the first quarter with four missed attempts as the quarter time score read Woorinen 2.3.15 to Swan Hill 0.3.3.
The second quarter continued on much like the first in a highly contested style, with the first goal not being kicked until the fifteen-minute mark. Dougie Palmer, who was the leading goal kicker for the day, kicked a stunning goal from the boundary, defying the wind as the ball gracefully flew through the goal posts. The players fought hard but couldn’t seem to hang onto the ball long enough to score. Swan Hill worked overtime around the packs to eventually break their points streak and score two goals, but the Tigers still came out on top at half time to lead 4.9.33 to 2.4.16.
Swan Hill applied fantastic pressure after the main break allowing them to make a comeback scoring three goals in a matter of minutes, bringing them out in front for the first time in the game. The Swans made Woorinen sweat as they kept the ball in their forward half, giving the Tiger’s a dose of their own medicine as they overtook them on the scoreboard. It was anyone’s game at final change with a score of 5.5.35 for Swan Hill and 5.9.39 for the Tigers, with Woorinen fighting frantically against the Swans, kicking a last-minute goal to put them in front at the siren.
The tension on the field only intensified for the home side as Swan Hill retook the lead with the opening goal of the last quarter. It was a heavily contested period start to the final term, as both teams tried desperately to get the ball out of the pack. Woorinen was eventually able to get on top around the stoppages, eventually breaking away from the Swans by not allowing them to get their hands on the ball. In an action packed final ten minutes it was Woorinen who came out on top, with a final score of 9.14.68 to 6.7.43.
Better players on the day were Lachie Wright, Arnold Kirby, Jye Barry, Josh Domaille, Lachie Warburton and Rob Miller, while for Swan Hill, their better players were Leighton Dullard, Oscar Lewis, Toby Thoolen, Jared Halligan, Lachie Joyce and Hamish Robertson.
VOTES
3 – Lachlan Wright (Woorinen)
2 – Leighton Dullard (Swan Hill)
1 – Arnold Kirby (Woorinen)
