Round 8 - Saturday June 2, 2012
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Maher Oval 2.10pm 
Umpires: Andrew Tuovi, Tim Beard and H Banks (RUA)
Wagga Tigers ..... 4.0 .. 9.4 .. 14.7 .. 18.9 (117) 
Griffith .................. 0.3 .. 0.7 .. 0.10 .. 4.13 (37)
WAGGA TIGERS: Pat Noonan, John Anstee, Pat Gaynor; Angus Durnan, John Simpson, Edward Fellows; Jade Hodge, Jackson Kew, Shaun Flanigan; Nick Ryan, Michael Pryde, Marc O'Neill; James Hodges, Ben Perkins, Sam Ryan; Brad Graham, Michael O'Dea, Craig Depiazza; Craig Pullen, Josh Larwood, Lahn Shepherd
GRIFFITH: Tom West, Matthew Noonan, Tom Miller; John Evans, Glen Snaidero, Che Jenkins; Kris Duncan, Michael Duncan, Rick Daniher; Toby Blissett, Jethro Calma-Holt, Tom Buckley; James Fallon, James Toscan, Andrew Hawkins; Dylan Cudmore*, Guy Orton (c-c), Brett Owen; Mathew Crack, Dean Crack, Tim Matheson 
GOALS
Wagga: B Perkins 6, N Ryan 4, J Hodges 4, M Pryde 2, C Pullen, J Kew
Griffith: D Crack 3, J Fallon
BEST PLAYERS
Wagga: S Flanigan, M O'Dea, C Pullen, J Anstee, J Kew, J Simpson
Griffith: T Miller, D Crack, T West, M Duncan, J Evans, C Jenkins
SENIOR DEBUT: Dylan Cudmore
A summary of match report, with thanks
The Griffith Swans have come crashing back to earth in the Riverina Football League losing by 80 points to the Wagga Tigers at Maher Oval on Saturday. Fresh off their nail-biting win against Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, Griffith fell back into old habits, with poor decision making around contested ball seeing Tigers run away with the game. Griffith coach Guy Orton said in some ways it was a loss his side had to have as they failed to combat the Tigers’ press, which saw them restrict the Swans to a goal-less 

first three quarters. “It’s probably good in a way, it’s a reality check for us. We were disappointed obviously, but we just have to bounce back,” Orton said. “We made silly decisions and waiting for our better players, to step up, rather than the guys just going themselves. “But they (Wagga) played their press quite well and we have not come against that yet, but we need to make some adjustments.”
Tigers opened up a 21-point lead at the first break with Ben Perkins (six goals) and James Hodges (four) proving an excellent target up front for the home side. Wagga ran away with the game further in the second quarter kicking five goals as the Swans could only add four points to their tally. The mountain they had to climb in the second half grew with each passing minute as they trailed by 48 at the long break.

Despite having come back from six-goal deficits in recent games, Orton said Wagga simply did not give his side the opportunity to take easy shots on goal. “We knew bringing in a couple of new people – not that it would rattle the team – but things would be upset a bit.

“But all of the new guys were very good, they came in and did the job given to them very well.” Orton said. Dean Crack (three goals) and James Fallon (one) were finally able to get Griffith on the board in the last quarter, but by then the game was over as a contest.

Matthew Noonan, John Evans, Tom West, Mike Duncan, Che Jenkins and Dean Crack were best for Griffith, while Tigers’ Shaun Flanigan, Michael O’Dea, Craig Pullen, John Anstee, Jackson Kew and John Simpson were outstanding for the home side.
With the representative bye this weekend for most of the Swans, Orton, Jenkins, Duncan, Noonan, Jethro Calma-Holt and James Toscan will attend RFL training on Wednesday, with hopes of being selected to play Black Diamond League in Sydney.

(By Scott Hazlewood - The Area News, Monday June 4, 2012)

 

OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Ganmain-GGM 18.8 (116) def by Collingullie-AK 23.11 (149), Mangoplah-CUE 18.9 (117) def Narrandera 13.10 (88); SUN: Turvey Park 3.9 (27) def by Coolamon 21.11 (137); Leeton-Whitton, bye

​

Reserves: Wagga Tigers 11.9 (75) def Griffith 7.2 (44)
Goals: C Moore 3, M Griffin 2, A Cappello, T Webb
Best players: T Webb, J Tyrell, R Johns, G Taylor, C Harrison, J Tyndall 
Under 17: Wagga Tigers 18.13 (121) def Griffith 10.7 (67)
Goals: D Peruzzi 2, B Moore 2, T Shannon 2, A Blissett 2, D Cassidy, J Harrison
Best players: B Tarr, T Shannon, T Polkinghorne, P McMahon, J Gordon, A Blissett