Another sore loss for Mirboo North Tigers

by Rover

THE FOSTER Tigers comfortably defeated the Mirboo North Tigers by 58 points in Saturday’s clash at the Foster Showgrounds between the proud 130-year-old clubs.

It was Foster’s highest score and biggest win for the season that featured a combination of willpower, horsepower and firepower in contested ball situations and heavy tackling confrontations.

With four more matches remaining and its destiny in its own hands, Foster is fourth on the ladder, half a game clear of Hill End in the race to grand final day on Saturday, September 10. 

However, following its eighth loss in 2022, Mirboo North will miss the MGFNL finals after competing in 17 consecutive campaigns since 2002 and collecting five senior premierships. 

Prior to the match, Foster and Mirboo North’s senior and reserves sides lined up to honor the memory of Peter Trease, following his passing in Townsville, Queensland earlier in the week.

Before his National Service duties in 1969 — that included 12 months on the front line in Vietnam — Peter was a reserves footballer for Mirboo North and later, a long serving committeeman at Foster.
As the game unfolded, Mirboo North stayed in touch with Foster until quarter-time, but by the long break, it was 32 points in arrears.

Thereafter, no matter how hard Mirboo North fought the good fight, or how much inexhaustible energy it used, it was unable to match Foster’s free-flowing teamwork out of defence, through the midfield and into its scoring zone.

Leading the way to that end for the home side were Matthew Clark, Brendan Neville, Michael Howell and Owen Lemchens with fast and furious coordinated football.

In the final wash-up, six goals from power forward Michael Cooke, plus three apiece by Tom Bartholomew, Will Mattingley and Billy Flavelle, told the story of Foster’s dominance inside its 50-metre scoring arc.

Hard runners, Hudson Kerr, Ben Campbell and skipper, Damien Turner, were strong performers for Mirboo North, whilst Liam Nash, with four majors and some glorious high marking in the packs, was the visiting Tigers’ only multiple goal kicker.

A highlight for Mirboo North occurred in the final quarter when 15-year-old first game sharpshooter, Max Woodall, marked cleanly in front of his opponent and tidily kicked his first goal in senior footy and his side’s eighth major for the day.

As the ball flew through the middle of the big white sticks from Max’s 33-metre set shot, his Mirboo North teammates rushed from every section of the oval to pat him on the back.
In a show of its unrelenting determination, Mirboo North kicked the final two goals for the match, culminating in a superb left-foot snap from Campbell.