REVENGE IS SWEET FOR GREEN MACHINE
ST Mary’s got revenge over its old rivals Darwin Buffaloes with a 13.15 (93) to 9.10 (64) win in a wet exchange at TIO Stadium.
An early mark from Darwin’s Matt Campbell looked to cement his side an early lead. However, a wayward kick would have had the Buffs feeling hard done by, after an unpaid 50m free kick following a sling from Tylah Saunders.
The rest of the opening period was all Saints, with the Green Machine eager to not repeat the pain of a 39point loss of Round 6, and as such the game wasn’t short of a heated exchange or two.
A shift from Saints big man Brandyn Grenfell put his team on the front foot, and it was him to score first from 50m out.
Saints continued to put their rivals to the sword, with a double from spearhead Jackson Calder and a hardrunning goal from Daly Andrews.
Buffaloes came back after the break with Campbell nabbing a quick goal, while Brodie Foster managed one soon after, separating himself from the strong defence of Matthew Wilkinson. But a massive Beau Tedcastle kick from the fence-line swung the momentum back towards Saints, while Dylan Landt and Jack Long kept the ball moving from their defensive end.
A switch into goal square for Foster seemed to pay dividends for the Buffs, the spearhead scoring a quick double and troubling an inaccurate Saints.
But, as with each quarter before, the Green Machine motored back into the contest to win back control with Tedcastle firing.
Captain and massive Manchester United fan Shannon Rioli was quick to insert his side into the final period, kicking a soccer goal inside a minute of the restart.
The Buffs had their chances late, kicking three in row, including another Foster double.
But a selfless handball from Rioli to Tedcastle sealed the deal for Saints.