Sharks pick apart Tigers

By Rover

TARWIN’S first visit to Tigerland on Saturday as a Mid Gippsland club, saw it overpower Mirboo North by 50 points and record the Sharks’ third victory for 2023.

After crashing out of last year’s finals with back-to-back losses, Tarwin has squared its ledger from six matches this season, following defeats against Foster, Yinnar and Fish Creek.

Mirboo North also has three wins, but has dropped to ninth on the ladder, one spot below Tarwin, as injuries to several key players take a heavy toll on the Tigers’ formulated and strategic capabilities under pressure.

Missing from Mirboo North’s line-up against Tarwin were proven performers Julian Blackford, Hayden Brock, Joe Brooks, Beau Peters and Jake Nash.

Tarwin players and coaching staff wore black armbands following the death during the week of past club secretary, Mike ‘Bulldog’ Richards.

The mighty Tigers opened well with two majors from Josh Taylor and another by Ben Campbell to lead by a goal at quarter-time, as the Sharks adjusted to the nuances of Mirboo North’s sloping oval.

Rhys Kratzat and Joel Lambourn were combining well in defence for Mirboo North, as the Sharks began to find their feet with some strong build ups through the midfield and into their forward 50.

Other productive Tigers were Jesse Chila, Harry Mahoney, Darcy Brock, Damien Turner, Beau Melbourne, Justin Pellicano and Patrick Lewis.

When Max Woodall’s left foot snap off the pack in the 10-metre square for Mirboo North sailed through the big white sticks, it was four goals straight for each team, eight minutes into the second term.

However, with Taylor succumbing to a hamstring injury and Pellicano being yellow carded for rough play, the Sharks edged nine points clear when Ryan Waddell marked and scored shortly before the main break.

From there on, it was shut the gate with the Sharks taking control in the air and around the packs in a 5.1 to 2.3 third quarter, that gave the visitors a handy 25-point advantage at the last change.

As Mirboo North’s resistance fell away, Tarwin’s persistence delivered the ball to its forwards with purity and precision, that left no provision for indecision.

Matthew Williams, Tom Vanderkolk and Nathan McRae’s domination came to the fore for Tarwin and Mirboo North was powerless to stop the Sharks’ repeated advances into their forward half.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, their intentional conveyances of the Sherrin resulted in too many unintentional consequences.

The Sharks’ momentum was strengthened by players running in twos and threes that created lots of dare and plenty of flair, where confidence played a huge part in their play almost everywhere.  

It was much the same in the final quarter, as Tarwin piled on another six goals to Mirboo North’s 2.2, with the last 12 minutes played under Tigerland’s powerful and new light banks, sitting 30 metres above the playing surface on sturdy shiny galvanised steel earthquake-proof towers. 

Waddell finished the afternoon with five goals for the visitors, followed by teammate, Kaj Patterson, who kicked three majors.

It had been a tough day against stronger opponents for Mirboo North, which frequently suffered from the frailties of its ineffective disposals.

This Saturday, Mirboo North travels to Boolarra to confront the Demons, with both teams in desperate need of a win to keep their hopes of appearing in finals alive.