Round 18 - Saturday August 25, 2012
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Griffith Exies Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Luke Olsen, H Banks and Rob Wilson (RUA) 
Griffith ................... 0.1 .. 3.3 .. 3.6 .. 6.8 (44) 
Wagga Tigers ...... 4.4 .. 11.5 .. 16.7 .. 22.11 (143)
GRIFFITH: Tom West, Matthew Noonan, Royce Johns; Che Jenkins, Tom Miller, Jonathon Gastin; John Evans, Michael Duncan, Toby Blissett; Rick Daniher, Jethro Calma-Holt, Kris Duncan; Tom Buckley, James Toscan, Dean Crack; Dylan Cudmore, Guy Orton (c-c), James Fallon; Tim Matheson, Andrew Hawkins, Alex Blissett
WAGGA TIGERS: Pat Gaynor, John Anstee, John Simpson; Sam Gaynor, Michael Pryde, Damien Papworth; Lahn Shepherd, Marc O'Neill, Jade Hodge; Jackson Oehm, Jim Carroll, Nick Ryan; Xavier Brennan, Ben Perkins, Tom Power (c-c); Brad Graham, Jackson Kew, Shaun Flanigan; Josh Larwood, James Hodges, Craig Depiazza 
GOALS
Griffith: J Fallon 2, T Buckley, J Gastin, D Crack, T Blissett 
Wagga: B Perkins 5, J Carroll 5, J Hodges 3, S Flanigan 3, X Brennan 2, J Hodge, J Kew
BEST PLAYERS
Griffith: C Jenkins, G Orton, R Daniher, T Blissett, M Duncan, A Blissett 
Wagga: X Brennan, S Flanigan, J Simpson, J Anstee, J Kew, J Carroll

A summary of match report, with thanks
It was the Griffith Swans chance to earn some respect from their final game of the Riverina Football League season, but all they got for their effort to try and finish on a high was a 99-point hiding at the hands of Wagga Tigers at Exies Oval on Saturday. With finals passing the Swans for another year, coach Guy Orton said his side wanted to prove their last start thumping by the Tigers was a one-off.

However, with the post-season in the minds of the Tigers players, they jumped out to a handy lead early and controlled the tempo of the game as the score blew out. Orton was lost for words after the game but hinted the mentally the side may have struggled to get up after losing the must-win clash with Collingullie-AK last weekend.

“It was pretty disappointing, there’s not really much else to say,” Orton said.

“We let each other down to try and finish on a high note, but in saying that we just have to build for next year.  Were a bit flat and we just weren’t on our game.” Despite not achieving their main goal this year, Orton said there were still good signs for the future of the club with the added talent depth enough to ensure the Swans will not be on the outside of the RFL finals looking in for much longer.
Apart from trying to end their season on a high, Griffith also had Tim Matheson’s 50th game milestone to fire the players up, but it was the Tigers who came out firing and booted four first-quarter goals. However, it was the second term where the Tigers blew the game open, adding seven goals to take their lead to a commanding 47 points at the main break.

Before the game, Orton hinted he would tinker with his side’s half-time routine to find a way of killing off the sluggish starts to third quarters. But with just three behinds being added to the home team’s score, Wagga Tigers controlled the game as they ran out to a comfortable win, with Jim Carroll and Ben Perkins (five goals each), Shaun Flanigan and James Hodges (three each) having a field day up forward.

Che Jenkins, Dean Crack, Mick Duncan, Rick Daniher, Toby Blissett and Orton were the best for Griffith in a well-beaten side. 
(By Scott Hazlewood – The Area News, Monday August 27, 2012).  

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Collingullie-AK 13.6 (84) def Ganmain-GGM 15.7 (97), Coolamon 35.18 (228) def Turvey Park 4.5 (29), Narrandera 16.13 (109) def Mangoplah-CUE 10.4 (64); Leeton-Whitton, bye.

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Reserves: Griffith 11.9 (75) def Wagga Tigers 11.2 (68) 
Goals: D Dunbar 3, B McRae 3, P Whittard 2, J Hampel, T Valeri, J Ryan
Best players: O Delves, M Griffin, J Tyrell, B McRae, T Valeri, C Lugton
Under 17: Wagga Tigers 14.2 (86) def Griffith 7.6 (48)
Goals: A Blissett 2, T Shannon, J Burley, N Bruns, N Witherspoon, J Gordon
Best players: T West, J Evans, B Tarr, T Shannon, A Blissett, T Polkinghorne