Round 5 - Sunday May 13, 2007 (Pink Day)
Riverina Football League
Venue: Griffith Exies Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Scott Crowley and Rob Wilson (RUA)
Griffith .................. 1.1 .. 4.4 .. 4.8 .. 10.9 (69) 
Wagga Tigers ..... 5.6 .. 19.8 .. 24.11 .. 31.12 (198)
GRIFFITH: David Pasin, Peter Hunt, Jason Hampel; Jason Malone, Matthew Kenny, Mathew Crack; Ben Ford, Luke McLean, Dean Crack; Craig Conlan, Jeff Mickan, Craig Lugton; Zach Lewis, James Toscan, Daniel Meade; Brock Harrison, Matthew McDonald, Michael Duncan; Ryan Bull, Jonathon Gastin, Jace Iemma
WAGGA TIGERS: James Millikan, Pat Noonan, Daniel Quee, Luke Gaffney, Nathan McDonald, Marc Sheppard, Ryan Miller, Matthew Coady, Matthew Noonan, Stewart Cook, Chris Drum, Steven Priest, Darren Cook, Mitch Colvin, Matt Walder (coach), Ryan Plant, David Pullen, Daniel Davey, Logan Knight, Jacob Powell, Scott Pearce 
GOALS
Griffith: D Meade 3, D Crack 2, M Duncan 2, B Ford, M McDonald, J Gastin
Wagga: M Walder 8, M Sheppard 7, R Plant 5, L Knight 3, D Quee 3, M Colvin 2, D Davey, S Pearce, L Gaffney
BEST PLAYERS
Griffith: B Ford, M Duncan, M Kenny, P Hunt, J Hampel
Wagga: M Walder, L Knight, R Plant, J Millikan, M Sheppard, L Gaffney

A summary of match report, with thanks
A Startling 14-goal second quarter set up a thumping 129-point win for the Wagga Tigers over the Griffith Swans at the Exies Oval.

The Swans had no answers to the ruthless Tigers midfield as forwards Marc Sheppard and coach Matt Walder went on a goal-scoring spree. Sheppard booted seven goals, while the evergreen Walder kicked eight majors.

The Swans' lack of a genuine full forward was exposed by the Tigers, as ruckman Ryan Bull and Brock Harrison both had unsuccessful stints up forward. "The first half wasn't too flash, and they showed us how to play footy, but we got stuck into it in the second half and that wasn't too bad," Swans captain-coach Luke McLean said.

"Their midfield was good, and their half backs ran hard, and our half forwards were slow to react. "Brock was pretty quiet and got his hands on a few but couldn't hold it but towards the end Daniel Meade was solid but I think that going to be our Achilles heel because we don't have someone that's six foot four for the contests."

The Tigers started with the expected tenacity after last week's shock loss to Narrandera and skipped out to 36-7 at the first break.

The floodgates then opened in the second term as Logan Knight, Ryan Plant, Walder and Sheppard combined to wreak havoc on the Swans' defence. Those four booted 13 of their side's 14 goals in the term, with the speedy Scott Pearce kicking his first goal of the game.

As devastating as the Tigers' attack was, their defence was equally impressive. The Swans failed to kick a major in the third term as the Tigers piled on another five.  Daniel Meade kicked two goals for the Swans to put some respectability in the score line for the home side.

The loss was not all doom and gloom for McLean, who said the Swans could learn something from the ruthlessness of the Tigers.

"We have to take a leaf out of their book because they are the benchmark of the competition," he said. "We've got a few young kids here and we're only three and two for the season which doesn't rule us out of finals contention.

"We've just got to take a leaf from the Tigers, get back on the training paddock and work on a few things."

Meanwhile, the Swans' reserve grade side notched up its fifth consecutive win of the season, smashing the Tigers 105-67.

The Swans' Kris Duncan said the win was even more impressive considering 13 regular starts were forced to withdraw through injury or promotion to firsts. "Phil Rowston, Dean Jamieson and Myles Bunn were all good ... Andrew Cappello has been best on the ground the past three weeks and Brent Harrison kicked eight goals," Duncan said.  (By Will Gilroy - The Area News, Monday May 14, 2007). 

​

OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Eastern Hawks 15.22 (112) def by Coolamon 22.11 (143), Narrandera 21.8 (134) def Mangoplah-CUE 17.15 (117); SUN: Leeton-Whitton 11.13 (79) def by Turvey Park 16.15 (111); Ganmain-GGM, bye.

Reserves: Griffith 15.15 (105) def Wagga Tigers 10.7 (67)
Goals: B Harrison 8, K Duncan 2, B Hicken 2, P Rowston, D Jamieson, A Cappello
Best players: A Cappello, C Forwood, P Rowston, N Kite, D Jamieson
Under 18: Wagga Tigers 23.13 (151) def Griffith 4.7 (31)
Goals: L Piccolo 2, J Tyrell, S Curran
Best players: J Fallon, C McGann, C Swann, B Jaffrey, S Curran, L Piccolo