WOORINEN proved to be too strong on Saturday in the opening round of the Central Murray season, with a dominant 67-point victory over a new look Balranald.
Played at Greenham Park, with the oval in immaculate condition, the home side went into the game having lost 17 senior players from their 2024 team, but a strong recruiting campaign over summer suggested they would be competitive against the Tigers.
This proved to be the case in the opening minutes of the match, which was played at a frenetic pace as both sides applied significant pressure to the ball carrier.
The intensity around the packs would have pleased the coaches of both sides, as players sacrificed their bodies to win the ball.
Jye Barry started brilliantly, driving the Tigers into their forward half on numerous occasions thanks to the ruck work of Lachlan Gardner, who dominated the ruck contests.
Unfortunately, despite the great work of Barry and Gardner, the Tigers kicked poorly for goal, scoring five points from five forward entries.
The Roos’ backline were working overtime in the early part of the first quarter, and if it were not for the excellent work of Balranald co-coach Jack Salau and Ryan Middlebrook across half-back, the game could have been blown open very early.
It was 15 minutes into the match when Doug Beames won a free kick and booted the Tigers’ first goal of the game, and the first of three for the afternoon.
The Roos replied quickly when recruit Ariki Lowe was able to kick a long 45-metre bomb into the breeze that brought a huge roar from the spectators standing around the can bar.
Tigers young gun Hugh Thompson booted the first of his five majors for the day after some excellent work again by Barry and Gardner further up the field, with a left foot snap goal from Xavier Elford in time-on giving the Tigers a handy 16-point lead at quarter time.
The second term saw Woorinen get on top as Balranald began to tire in the warm conditions, while Ben Booth and Henry Thompson took it in turns to nullify Ben Fuller, who was finding it extremely difficult to get into the game.
Barry went up a level in the second and with Gardner completely controlling the ruck, the Tigers booted five unanswered goals.
Former Shepparton Swans star forward Matthew Perry came into the game, marking strongly and booting two goals for the term, to finish with six for the game in an impressive display, while Hugh Thompson also booted two and Beames chipped in with a mark and goal late in the quarter.
Balranald swung the changes at half-time to be more competitive around the packs, with former Port Melbourne teammates Roarke Smith and Cody Henness both thrown on the ball, along with Fuller and Jarryd Stead.
The Roos improved, kicking two goals for the quarter, but could not restrict the Tigers who again found avenues to goal on six occasions.
The Balranald name tags were thrown around at three quarter-time, resulting in their best quarter of football as they began to find some steam.
Lowe, Kaleel Ross and Henness started to win the football around the ground, while Lachlan Collihole went forward and Fuller back into the ruck.
Middlebrook also went into the midfield, and apart from the first 10 minutes they now had the Tigers on the back foot, with Balranald outscoring Woorinen with four goals to two.
Tom Salau began to find the footy on the wing and Will Lowry worked overtime across half-back, developing some much needed run, but it was all a little too late as players on both sides were happy to hear the final siren.
Balranald will improve as their recruits settle in and understand their structure, while the Tigers have recruited well and should be thereabouts come finals time, given their depth and renewed game plan.
VOTES
3 – Jye Barry (Woorinen)
2 – Lachlan Gardner (Woorinen)
1 – Henry Thompson (Woorinen)
