A nine-point halftime lead had Rochester Football Netball Club officials dreaming of a fairytale start to its 2023 Goulburn Valley league season after a miserable six-month period for the town.
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With half the Rochester community still living in caravans or alternate accommodation as their homes are repaired following the flood events of 2022, the club had promoted the opening round match with Kyabram as a major community event.
Pitted against its neighbour and GVL powerhouse of the past decade, the Rochester outfit was without a host of its 2022 stars.
Among the many familiar names missing for the start of the season were former coach Steve Stroobants, former North Melbourne 200-gamer Shaun Atley, the hard-running Harper brothers, ruckman Dan Russell and the classy Christopher Jansen, to name a few.
The Tigers also had to take the field without co-captain Nathan Marrone and important midfielder Doug Wren.
Coach Ash Watson had three players who are still eligible for under-18 football in his ranks, including debutant ruckman Charlie Palmer.
But the rooms were abuzz at halftime as the Tigers kicked four second-quarter goals to hold a nine-point lead after being just four points behind at the first break.
Kyabram’s six shots on goal in the second term netted only one major.
The half-time scoreline of 5.3 (33) to Kyabram’s 3.6 (24) was turned around when Kyabram kicked 9.7 to the Tigers’ 2.3 after the break.
Eventually Kyabram spoiled the party with a final scoreline of 12.14 (86) to Rochester’s 7.6 (48).
Rochester had marginally more of the football in the first half, but ended up with 40 less disposals and 20 less marks than Kyabram. Bombers forwards took 11 marks in the attacking 50.
Toby Wooller, a former Brisbane Lions-listed player and grandson of Geelong’s 1963 premiership captain Fred, had 38 possessions in his first GVL appearance.
Wooller was captain of the Oakleigh Chargers and won the club’s best-and-fairest award ahead of Jack Higgins, who ironically kicked five goals later in the day as St Kilda plundered Gold Coast Suns.
Wooller also had nine inside 50 entries and took 12 marks.
Anthony De Pasquale, fresh from a summer with Northern Territory Football League club Nightcliff, kicked four majors from eight scoring shots and was the most influential player on the ground in the second half.
All four of his goals came in the second half and he took seven marks inside 50 for the match.
De Pasquale kicked 43 goals in 19 games in the NTFL, all but one of those in the Premier League reserve grade competition.
Three of Rochester’s best half-dozen for the afternoon were from its defence as Kyabram had 25 more inside 50 entries for the match.
Key defender Hamish Hooppell had 17 possessions and took five marks, while Matt Kellett kept livewire Kyabram forward Kyle Mueller goalless and to just six possessions.
At different times Hooppell had responsibility for both of Kyabram’s sure handed key forwards, Tom Holman and Cooper Vick.
Neither kicked a goal in the match after kicking 58 between them last season.
Blake Evans had 29 possessions, his 26 kicks coming with an impressing 82 per cent efficiency rate. He rebounded the ball out of defensive 50 on eight occasions and was particularly good during Kyabram’s second half onslaught.
Joe Atley was the major ball winner for Rochester, his 33-possession game including a team-high 11 clearances.
Kyabram ruckman Zac Norris was the pick by most good judges as best afield. He had 24 possessions (20 contested), a game-high 11 clearances and 19 hit-outs.
His opposite number, Charlie Palmer, was by no means disgraced and battled hard against the league’s first choice ruckman of recent seasons.
New captain Nathan McCarty laid a team-high four tackles and had 25 possessions (17 handballs) as he battled against the odds to restrict the likes of last season’s Morrison Medal runner-up Kaine Herbert.
Herbert had 35 possessions, with a dominant last term including 14 disposals, three inside 50 entries and two clearances. He also laid a game-high seven tackles as the Tigers were out-tackled by Kyabram 58-38.
Kyabram laid 21 forward 50 tackles to the Tigers’ five, but Rochester comfortably won the free kick count 27-13.
The Bombers’ free kick woes of 2022 seem to be on track to continue, giving away five free kicks for high contact and four for push in the back. Rochester failed to infringe in either of those categories.
Jacob Atley held down centre half-back for the Tigers, his seven marks and 21 possessions supported at the opposite end by first-gamer Reid Gordon.
Gordon played with Marrar in the Farrar league last season where he kicked two goals and was among his team’s best in the grand final win.
He played most of his junior football with Noosa in Queensland, but in recent seasons performed strongly with Riverina league club Wagga.
He and James McPhee worked in tandem with Mitch Cricelli to offer targets in attack.
Cricelli, who kicked 44 goals last season, had 12 possessions, nine hit-outs and took six marks. He finished with one goal. McPhee and Sean Williams were the major goalkickers with two apiece.
Rochester has a round two appointment with Seymour, which opened its season with a 21-point win against Benalla.
The teams met only once last season, with the Lions winning by 31 points.
SCOREBOARD
ROUND ONE
ROCHESTER v KYABRAM
(at Moon Oval, Rochester)
Rochester...............................................1.3, 4.0, 1.1, 7.6 (48)
Kyabram.............................................2.1, 1.5, 4.4, 12.14 (86)
GOALS, Rochester: James McPhee 2, Sean Williams 2, Kyle Waters 1, Mitch Cricelli 1, Nate Rasmussen 1. Kyabram: Anthony Depasquale 4, Hayden Gemmill 2, Josh Dillon 2, Kayne Pettifer 2, Kaine Herbert 1, Ruben Rode 1.
BEST, Rochester: Matt Kellett, Joe Atley, Blake Evans, Hamish Hooppell, Charlie Palmer. Kyabram: Anthony Depasquale, Zac Norris, Ruben Rode, Kaine Herbert, Brad Whitford.
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