Round 17 - Sunday August 18, 2002
Riverina Football League
Venue: Ganmain Sportsground 2.10pm
Umpires: Pat O'Donoghue and Brett Webb (RUA)
Ganmain-GGM .... 3.3 .. 5.5 .. 7.7 .. 10.10 (70)
Griffith .................. 4.7 .. 9.13 .. 15.17 .. 26.22 (178)
GANMAIN-GRONG GRONG-MATONG: Matthew Hatty, Stephen Kelly, Drew Symons; Luke Carroll (c-c), Adam Symons, Jason Turner; Nathan Irvine, Brett Lenon, Mitchell Steele; Raphael McGowan, David Logan, Brad Smith; Daniel Underwood, Scott Hamblin, Jamier Crozier; Chris Kelly, Nathan McPherson, Shaun Rava; Hayden Milne, Rohan Brill, Chad Hamblin
GRIFFITH: Shawn Conlan, Jonathan O'Dwyer, Matt Bunn; Damien Scott, Brendan Giason, Jason Malone; Michael Duncan, Phillip Rowston, Kaine Malone; Craig Conlan, David Curran, Jeff Mickan; Andrew Hill, Danny Beriman, Jamie Bennett; Matthew Olney, Trevor Clarke, Cian Ebert (c-c); Chris Conlan, Luke Condon, Chris Blanchard
GOALS
Ganmain-GGM: S Hamblin 3, D Underwood 2, R Brill 2, S Rava, B Lenon, N McPherson
Griffith: D Beriman 6, J Bennett 5, D Curran 4, A Hill 2, M Duncan 2, M Olney 2, Chris Conlan 2, K Malone 2, Craig Conlan
BEST PLAYERS
Ganmain-GGM: C Kelly, L Carroll, D Logan, R McGowan, D Symons, A Symons
Griffith: Matt Bunn, P Rowston, Chris Conlan, M Duncan, J O'Dwyer
A summary of match report, with thanks

Griffith was in full flight as it went on a goal scoring spree to defeat Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong by 108 points in the Riverina Football League yesterday. The Swans midfield section won plenty of ball and their "talls" up forward were in control for most of the game at Ganmain Sports Club Oval. Had Griffith's forwards been accurate in the first two quarters the final margin - 26.22 (178) to 10.10 (70) would have been even greater. Griffith captain-coach Cian Ebert and other on-baller Mick Duncan and centre Phil Rowston won more than 100 possessions between them. An elated Ebert said the game against the Lions was a strong physical contest, which was good for the Swans at this time of the season. He gave full credit to the opposition particularly the pressure in the first two quarters.

"We did not look after each other enough in the first two quarters and were a little bit too quiet," Ebert said. "Things changed after half-time when we lifted our work rate and won the hard ball." 

Having defeated Turvey Park last week and now Ganmain - second and third respectively - in the last two rounds, Ebert sees a new campaign emerging for the finals. Ebert said he was happy with everything, but the Swans still have a hard task ahead.

"I think Turvey Park was a bit undermanned and Ganmain is a good finals side so there is no room for complacency," Ebert said.

"Finals are a totally differently story with results in the home and away series put on the back burner, but we are pretty happy the way things are going." Lions' tireless leader Luke Carroll said despite the looss, all was not doom and gloom and the club learnt a lot from the defeat. He said the first two quarters were good and the Lions problem of losing concentration took over again.

"We just cannot afford to fall away against sides like Griffith and Turvey Park," Carroll said.

With Rowston, Ebert and Duncan thumping the ball goalwards, Griffith's marking power in Jeff Mickan and Dave Curran across the half forward line and Danny Beriman and Andrew Hill at the spearhead eventually took control. The Symons brothers, Drew and Adam, Carroll, ruckman Chris Kelly, David Logan and Raphael McGowan put in strong four quarters for the Lions.

(By Peter Baker - The Daily Advertiser, Monday August 19, 2002).

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Leeton-Whitton 105 def Mangoplah-CU 60, Narrandera 11 def by East Wagga-K 146; SUN: Turvey Park 109 def Coolamon 72.

Reserves: Griffith 29.16 (190) def Ganmain-GGM 5.6 (36)
Goals: S Ruyg 10, S Driscoll 4, D Kidman 3, W Armstrong 2, T Bradley 2, Myles Bunn 2, G Foley 2, M Kenny, S Spiers, D Best, J Way
Best players: G Dreyer, Myles Bunn, D Kidman, S Spiers, M Kenny
Under 18: Griffith 12.9 (81) d Ganmain-GGM 8.4 (52)
Goals: A Gardner 8, T Condon, S Stubbs, K Duncan, B Wade
Best players: B Wade, A Gardner, B Owen, N Malone, R McClintock