Round 2 - Saturday April 16, 2011
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Robertson Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Luke Olsen, Cameron Warner and Greg Walsh (RUA)
Wagga Tigers ..... 3.1 .. 7.4 .. 11.7 .. 13.11 (89)
Griffith ................. 5.0 .. 10.2 .. 13.3 .. 15.5 (95) 
GRIFFITH: Jonathon Gastin, James Smith, Glen Snaidero; Dean Catanzariti, Matthew Noonan, Che Jenkins; Dean Crack, Michael Johns, Toby Blissett; Cameron Harrison, James Toscan, Tom Buckley*; James Fallon, Beau Runnalls, Kris Duncan; Jeff Mickan, Michael Duncan, Mathew Crack; Casey Boye, Michael Tyndall, Jack Tyrell
GOALS
Wagga: M Etchells 6, L Cameron, S Flanigan, E Fellows
Griffith: B Runnalls 5, K Duncan 3, J Fallon 2, C Harrison, J Gastin, T Buckley, M Crack, J Toscan
BEST PLAYERS
Wagga: B Doswell, M Etchells, J Anstee, A Durnan, J Gaynor, D Papworth
Griffith: J Toscan, M Duncan, G Snaidero, M Noonan, J Gastin, K Duncan, T Blissett, C Jenkins
SENIOR DEBUT: Tom Buckley
A summary of match report, with thanks
The Griffith Swans have sent an early season message to the rest of the Riverina Football League: write us off at your own peril.

While team officials are not talking up the team’s chances after only two weeks of the competition, the Griffith side has broken one of its longest hoodoos in defeating Wagga Tigers 15,5 (95) to 13.11 (89) at Robertson Oval.

Going into the game minus front-line ruckman Henry Delves and Michael Harris, Griffith lost veteran Jeff Mickan to an eye injury in the second quarter, forcing coach Damien Scott to reshuffle his side. But rather than let the disturbance upset their rhythm as it would have in recent seasons, the Swans kept their cool in the second half in the face of a determined Tigers’ fightback.

It was this aspect of the win that most pleased Scott, who beamed about the club’s perfect start in the opening fortnight to the new year. “That’s the big thing we got out of yesterday (Saturday), we know that we have good character in the team that we’ve got,” he said.

“When the Tigers came back at us late and got their nose in front, they could have quite easily let them run over the top of us, because they had a 10 to 15-minute period when they (Tigers) really took control of the game. “But the boys lifted and cut their run down and played rebound football and, as a coaching staff, we were really happy with how the boys picked themselves up and pushed on harder. 
“James Toscan and Tom Buckley stood up and filled in for us when Jeff (Mickan) went off and played really well for us, in what was a tough ask in moving from centre half-forward to the ruck. “Beau (Runnalls) had a very good first half bagging most of his five goals early in the game and then got doubled teamed from there and that shut him down a bit, then it opened it up a bit for someone else,” Scott added.

Mick Duncan, Glen Snaidero and Matt Noonan all starred for the Swans at different times during the tense clash, while John Anstee, Angus Durnan, Joshua Gaynor and Damien Papworth all got through plenty of work as they attempted to get Tigers over the line.

(By Scott Hazlewood - The Area News, Monday April 18, 2011). 

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Collingullie-AK 15.18 (108) def Leeton-Whitton 13.7 (85); SUN: Coolamon 10.13 (73) def by Narrandera 16.6 (102), Turvey Park 3.2 (20) def by Ganmain-GGM 26.17 (173); Mangoplah-CUE, bye.

 
Reserves: Wagga Tigers 19.19 (133) def Griffith 1.3 (9)
Goal: K Hicken
Best players: M Keenan, J Cudmore, S Brennan, C Lugton, T Webb
Under 17: Wagga Tigers 24.9 (153) d Griffith 7.4 (46)
Goals: C O'Reilly 3, C Hutchison 2, D Cassidy, T West
Best players: J Crowe, K Hillier, T West, Tom Valeri, C Hutchison, C O'Reilly