Tigers roar to first victory of the season

By Rover

MIRBOO North is off the bottom of the MGFNL ladder, after defeating a still-winless Hill End by nine points, in their 2024 Indigenous round-eight clash at Willow Grove on Saturday. 

Ever- astute veteran Tiger, Josh Taylor, was the star of the afternoon for the mighty Tigers, booting a total of six goals from acute and obtuse angles, as well as a couple directly in front of the big white sticks. 

The Blond Bombshell was joined on the battlefield by five other Mirboo North past premiership participants – Damien Turner, Alex Windsor, Joe Brooks, Shane Peters and Riley Oddy – across the club’s five 2006 to 2017 Mid Gippsland senior flag sides. 

For Hill End, its big and strong power forward, Jamie Somers, marked nearly everything that came his way and finished the day with five goals for the game alongside his name. 

From the outset, both teams went hammer and tongs at each other in pursuit of the Sherrin, as if their very lives depended on gathering it cleanly and disposing of it effectively.

Hard-working Mirboo North onballer, Jeremy Salinger, was prominent early in the opening quarter, popping through two of the Tigers’ first three majors, after marking pinpoint passes from Riley Oddy and Turner. 

With Taylor, Riley Oddy, Brooks and Turner on fire up forward and Patrick Lewis winning the ruck contests, Mirboo North’s energised efficiency around the packs was worrying many of Hill End’s parochial supporters.

Former professional golfer, Todd Alexander, was another Tiger putting plenty of pressure on the Hillmen with his tight, defensive play across half back. 

Fellow Tiger defenders, Taj Wilkins and Linc Oddy, kept a close eye on their respective opponents, that included a blind turn by Oddy, that no one saw coming. 

Mirboo North ended the first term three goals clear, but the Hillmen had reduced their deficit to 12 points at the main break, after kicking four goals straight to the Tigers’ less accurate 2.6. 

Coming into the game more frequently for the locals were Somers, skipper Aaron Fawcett, Seth Calwway, Jeremy Hunter and Harry Moore. 

With Mirboo North keeping the scoreboard ticking over nicely, the Tigers regained momentum for most of the third quarter that lifted their lead towards 30 points.

However, a late run of unanswered Hill End goals saw the locals draw to within seven points of the Tigers by three-quarter time.

An inspiring address from playing coach Turner had an immediate effect on Mirboo North, when talented teenager, Leigh Jowett, held a difficult mark and goaled from long range.

Brooks successfully moved into the ruck for the visitors, where his palming at the stoppages and overhead marking around the ground were significant.

Another Mirboo North major soon followed, but successive goals from Somers had Hill End trailing by one point, long after the sinking winter sun had disappeared and as time-on approached.

As both teams desperately drove the Sherrin towards their forward arcs, many promising build-ups were turned back, with defiant intercept marking. 

A final snapped goal from Taylor wedged between a couple of Mirboo North behinds, was enough to see the Tigers home by nine points in a corker of a contest.

Following this weekend’s King’s Birthday Holiday break, Mirboo North hosts Morwell East at Tigerland on Saturday June 15.