Tigers in touch with top five after thriller
COLAC coach Kane Leersen has hailed the fighting spirit of his emerging players after the Tigers held on for a gutsy win away from home against Bell Park.
The Tigers kept touch with the GFL’s top-five courtesy of a thrilling three-point win, after surviving a spirited Dragons revival on the day Bell Park celebrated its 60th birthday.
Down to three on the bench midway through the second term after ruckman Lochie Veale broke his nose, the Tigers turned around an eightpoint three-quarter-time deficit to win 13.12 (90) to 13.9 (87).
Veteran Jacob McGuane was pivotal at full back, keeping Jarrod Garth out of the game, but Colac playing-coach Kane Leersen heaped praise on the young kids who held tough in the contested slog.
“It was really nice to see those mid-tier guys, the 19, 20, 21-year-olds really step up and, when it was on the line, they kept getting their hands dirty and were at the foot of the contest,” Leersen said.
“They kept outnumbering them and working really hard.
“It’s easy to forget how young we are still and our best I think is really, really good, but the challenge is to close the gap on our best (and worst).”
Still stinging from a horrible last-quarter fade out to Leo- pold a week prior, the Tigers came out breathing fire, slamming six straight goals in between Dragon bookends in the first half-hour.
Bell Park co-coach Luke Rayner was livid at the quartertime break, questioning his players’ “heart” and “ticker” for the contest.
Rayner spent just three minutes with his players before storming back up to the coaches’ box, leaving playing cocoach Tim Sheringham to rally the side.
Sheringham was instrumental on the field, willing his side back into the contest to lead by eight points at the final break.
“To beat Bell Park down here is a massive effort for us,” Leersen said.
The result leaves both sides at 3-2 with interleague football to give GFL sides a week off.
SOUTH Barwon caused the upset of the weekend, prevailing by 19 points over Newtown and Chilwell.
The Eagles led by 17 at the first change, before the Swans stormed back to lead by a point at the main break. Three goals to one in the third then sealed it for David Farrell’s men, with neither side able to goal in the last 30 minutes.
Geelong West recovered from a slow start to register a 55-point win over Lara.
The Cats had the only two goals of the opening stanza, before the Giants broke away to a 5.11 to 3.3 lead at halftime.
Accurate kicking would have sealed it earlier, but West eventually cruised to a comfortable win, 13.20 (98) to 6.7 (43).
St Albans’ woes continued with a 28-point loss to Grovedale. It could have been a danger game for the Tigers, with the Supersaints still reeling from a winless start to the season.
But the Tigers kicked seven of eight goals in the first half before holding on for a comfortable victory.
St Joseph’s brushed aside North Shore in comprehensive fashion, putting its foot down after quarter-time to record a 132-point win. A seven-goal second quarter, with the Seagulls held goalless, blew the game open. The Seagulls struggled to deal with Joeys’ class. Joey Curtis McCarthy kicked a season-best six goals in the win, while Zach Morison played his best game this year.