The Jacaranda Hotel Grafton Tigers have started their 2012 North Coast AFL premiership defence in the best possible way with a resounding victory over the Sawtell Saints at Ellem Oval on Saturday.
With the presentation of Grafton’s first ever premiership flag by AFL hall of famer, John Rantell and Grafton’s mayor, Richie Williamson, the Tigers were determined to display the form that had won them the premiership in 2011.
And they didn’t disappoint.
In what many believed would be a closely fought match, the Saints side had no answers to the rampant Tigers who took control early and were never troubled as they put on a clinical display to run away winners by 94 points.
The signs were ominous for Sawtell from the first bounce after the Tigers midfield of Scott Onus, Ronald Davis and Sam Morrison combined superbly to keep the ball in the Tigers attacking zone for much of the first quarter, the big forward trio of captain Dan Zacek, Shawn Purton and boom recruit Lee Anderson were able to find plenty of space up front, with Purton and Anderson kicking a goal each in the first term, inaccuracy in the form of 7 behinds for Grafton allowed Sawtell some hope of coming back at the premiers and a goal off the boot of Craig Parsons allowed the Saints to keep in touch and trail Grafton by 11 at the first break.
Any hope that the Saint had of keeping with Grafton were soon quashed in the second term, with the Tigers midfield ripping Sawtell apart, the Saints tactic of playing 2 defenders on Zacek kept the Grafton captain to a lone goal for the quarter and the match but allowed Anderson to roam free in the forward 50 where he kicked 4 goals for the quarter, combined with the goals of Carl Boehme, Sam Morrison, Chris Holder, Tim Whalan and Josh Lollback, the Tigers slotted 10 majors to Sawtell’s 3 and looked very comfortable at the half time break with a lead of 55.
The Saints started the third quarter in damage control, opting to flood their backline in an effort to contain the Tigers onslaught, 2 goals each to both Purton and Sean Duroux still allowed Grafton to extend their lead, and while the Saints were able to add another 2 goals to their own total off the boot of Parsons, the visitors were becoming increasingly frustrated, the solid defensive effort of Grafton’s backline, Ryan Sheather, Justin Darby and Kelly Thompson worked tirelessly all day and shut down any ball that came near them, not even Sawtell’s veteran forward “Sugar” Ray Mcgrath had any tricks up his sleeve to outplay the Tigers backs, only kicking a lone goal for the match, at the end of the third term, Grafton had an unassailable lead of 71.
The intensity the Tigers had shown during the match started to take its toll on Sawtell who desperately tried to control the Tigers by continuing to flood their backline, but with Graftons midfield continuing their dominance of the football, the Tigers were still able to kick another 4 goals for the quarter with Purton adding another two goals to his tally, Anderson adding another to his own and new recruit John Chapple coming up from the backline to kick is first goal in his debut for the Tigers, only a lone goal to Parsons was all the Saints could muster for the term as Grafton romped home to win 140 to 46.
In the absence of coach Adi Campbell, the coaching roll was filled by captain Dan Zacek who was very pleased with his sides efforts, congratulating the players on their discipline and defensive and attacking pressure, but also adding that although the Tigers outplayed the Saints in all areas on the day, there is still some room for improvement in the coming weeks.
Final Scores:
Grafton Tigers - 2.7 12.9 16.14 20.20 (140)
Sawtell Saints - 1.2 4.2 6.3 7.4 (46)
Goals - Grafton: L Anderson 6, S Purton 5, S Duroux 2, D Zacek, S Morrison, C Holder, C Boehme, J Lollback, J Chappell, T Whalan.
Sawtell: C Parsons 5, E Schmidt, R McGrath.
Best - Grafton: K Thomson, L Anderson, R Davis, R Sheather, D Zacek, B Holder, C Holder.
Sawtell: N Johnson K Tomlinson J Saunders C Tune.
In reserve grade, Sawtell were expected to continue the form that saw them take out the 2011 premiership and dominate the Tigers from the first bounce, and although the Saints led Grafton by 7 at the end of the first quarter, the Tigers were able to regroup and kick 4 goals to 1 in the second term, putting them in front at the half time break by 10, the second half was a see sawing struggle with neither side willing to give in but at the final siren, Grafton had beaten the shocked reigning premiers by 15.
Final Scores:
Grafton 10.5 (65)
Sawtell 7.8 (50)
Last Modified on 01/07/2012 15:40