It was a tough ask for Berrigan to take on the undefeated Waaia Bombers on Saturday, but the Saints outfit took it to them with all the fight they could muster.
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Going down 56 to 94, the score line does not tell the story of the game.
The first two quarters treated the crowd to some tough, hard footy aptly led by hard hitting co coach Justin Hoggan.
The Saints were at every contest in numbers - they fought hard down low and they attacked the ball ferociously.
Running players Levi Middleton and Lochie Conboy gave great drive forward and made good use of every opportunity fought for.
The backline was tested time and time and time again, good work in the air by Zeke Carruthers who also chased down every lost ball like a terrier.
Solid ground work by Timothy Cooper and Connor Thornton ensured every goal scored by Waaia was hard won.
Jack Andison had his eye in scoring three, and young gun Hamish Cameron put on a display well worth a mention; tackling hard, chasing at speed and basically being a pain in the butt for his opponent.
Shout out to the thirds players who stood up again to take the field for the seniors and congratulations to Max Cameron on making his seniors debut!
The boys definitely gave the supporters on the hill something to cheer for and all witnessed a fire in the belly performance.
Another heart-warming performance was seen from Mark McQualter, who out injured, noticed the canteen was struggling to keep up and stepped in to do an all day shift. Now that’s team work!! Thanks Mark.
Final score: Berrigan 8.8 (56) def by Waaia 14.10 (94).
In the reserves, the Saints fell 22 points short to Waaia but were within grasp for most of the match.
If not for a lapse in the second quarter, where the Bombers took advantage of the wind and kicked a few unanswered goals, the Saints might have been in with a chance.
The Saints responded well in the second half, but the damage had already been done.
It was a solid performance from the boys with no passengers to be found, to the delight to stand in coach Gerald Towler.
The back line was busier than they would have liked with the dependable Stuart Pyle repelling more footballs than one could count, while Alex Park gave plenty of dash from the back flank.
The on-ball brigade in Adam Fox, Noel Baxter and Steve Lenssen got plenty of the Sherrin as usual, but had to work hard for it against a slick bombers outfit.
Rory Thornton really stepped up when his old man and club legend Craig went off with a shoulder injury.
It was a quiet day down forward for the most part with Pyle kicking three.
The highlight of the match was when young Xavier Fox copped a cheap hit in a pack.
After informing his father of the incident, the father-and-son duo were on the hunt for redemption and no man or beast was safe.
The lads will be glad to have their playing coach back this week to take on the Hoppers.
Final score: Berrigan 5.4 (34) def by Waaia 8.8 (56).
What a game for Berrigan’s thirds team, who wore their hearts on their sleeves and dug deep to try and secure the elusive four points.
This week was not theirs, but not one team member gave up on the chance which was brilliant to watch.
Connor Taylor and Darcy Pyle were among the best and de-ja-vu hit us all when again Lachie Whelan and Jeremy Packer took advantage of the possession to snag two big ones each.
‘Energizer battery’ Xavier Fox also scored two big ones, and went on the play seconds and seniors.
Big shout out to all the thirds players who recently have had to step up and play either two or three games on a Saturday.
We marvel at your energy, are excited by your commitment and respect how much you will do for the mighty Saints.
Final score: Berrigan 8.5 (53) def by Waaia 10.4 (64).
Winners are grinners and you could not wipe the smiles off the young Sainters faces at the weekend.
The young guns showed great team work as they shared the ball and the goals around, which ensured they all felt like they contributed to the win.
Zavier Binns demonstrated his courage after taking some big hits and continuing to dig in all game long.
Waaia had a lot of tall timber, but our team cut them down pretty quick like slicing butter with a warm knife and burrowed in under to carry away the Sherrin time and time again.
Well done to Jeremy Packer and Lachie Whelan for taking advantage of the opportunities and scoring multiple goals.
Final score: Berrigan 11.11 (77) def Waaia 1.2 (8).