Round 7 - Saturday May 28, 2011 (Pink Day)
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Griffith Exies Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Gene Hodgins, Paul Smith and Cameron Warner (RUA)
Griffith ................... 4.0 .. 4.0 .. 7.0 .. 8.1 (49)
Ganmain-GGM .... 6.4 .. 11.11 .. 16.14 .. 18.14 (122)
GRIFFITH: Dean Catanzariti, Glen Snaidero, James Smith; Mathew Crack, Matthew Noonan, Jonathon Gastin; John Evans, Michael Duncan, Dean Crack, Toby Blissett, James Toscan, Tom Buckley; Beau Runnalls, Jeff Mickan, Kris Duncan; Michael Harris, Guy Orton, Che Jenkins; Henry Delves, Theo Valeri, Jack Tyrell
GOALS
Griffith: B Runnalls 2, M Duncan, T Blissett, J Toscan, J Mickan, G Orton, J Gastin
Ganmain-GGM: D Hitchens 4, J Conway 4, S Noble 3, N Carroll 2, N McPherson, L Kohlhagen, C Steele,
H Weddell, C Taylor
BEST PLAYERS
Griffith: M Noonan, C Jenkins, M Duncan, G Snaidero, G Orton, M Crack
Ganmain-GGM: C Steele, D Hitchens, D Rankin, J Conway, C McPherson, H Weddell
A summary of match report, with thanks
Griffith Swans coach Damien Scott will hopefully look back on his side’s 73-point thumping at Exies Oval on Saturday as the loss his side had to have, as the Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong Lions extended their Riverina Football League unbeaten streak to seven. In what was always shaping up as the Swans’ biggest challenge to date, they could not contend with the bigger bodied of the Lions, whose kicking efficiency and experience as a playing unit proved to be the difference.
Scott said his players were disappointed with their efforts especially as they don’t see themselves as a 12-goal worse side than the 2010 premiers, but said he hoped the squad now realised what their short-comings were. “They (Swans) know they just didn’t put it together and they’re pretty disappointed in themselves, but I think we’ll take more out of it than Ganmain would,” Scott said.
“We now know the areas we need to improve on, areas I have been stressing to the guys that are a vital focus to be a real contender, and this rams it home. They (Lions) played exactly how I expected them to, but we didn’t rise to the challenge.”
Griffith had a fast start if they were to lay any kind of platform, and the Swans largely matched the Lions to narrowly trail early. GGGM’s Nathan McPherson was yellow-carded in first quarter for a high-shot on Tom Buckley, with the incident spurring the pink Swans on, as they only trailed by only 16 at the first break. But the game tipped heavily
in the visitors favour as Griffith was not only held goalless in the second quarter, but without a point as GGGM blew the margin out to 53. “They had confidence in leaving their men and marking the space around them, and the gap in experience between the sides was evident. They knew exactly where everyone one was going to do and where they were going to be,” Scott said of the Lions’ defensive pressure.
“In the first quarter we started well, and it was probably our bests starts of the season, and we played the first quarter like we knew we were in the game. “But the guys didn’t throw their bums in the corner, they kept trying the rest of the game.” Daniel Hitchens (four), Jarrod Conway (four), Samuel Noble (three) and Nick Carroll (two) continued to provide an avenue to goal for the Lions as the margin continued to build.
Despite the best efforts of Michael Duncan, Guy Orton, Matthew Noonan, Che Jenkins, Glen Snaidero and Mathew Crack, Griffith was unable to dig itself out of the hole as the Lions ran out convincing winners. (By Scott Hazlewood – The Area News, MondayMay 30, 2011).
OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Narrandera 15.17 (107) def Leeton-Whitton 12.10 (82), Turvey Park 6.5 (41) def by Collingullie-AK 22.13 (145); SUN: Coolamon 22.20 (152) def Mangoplah-CUE 5.2 (32); Wagga, bye.
Reserves: Ganmain-GGM 10.8 (68) def Griffith 9.8 (62)
Goals: J Fallon 3, D Keenan 2, C Boye, M Tyndall, M Hogan, T Webb
Best players: L Piccolo, T McMahon, C Niven, T Webb, B Giason, J Fallon
Under 17: Griffith 15.15 (105) def Ganmain-GGM 9.2 (56)
Goals: B Prendergast 7, T West 2, S Tupuola 2, P Whittard 2, C O'Reilly, B Fitzgerald
Best players: T Shannon, B Prendergast, T West, Tom Valeri, J Crowe, J Tyndall