Sport

Tigers tasting top two after Benalla win

By Matthew Kappos

Aug 18, 2025

Cooper Hamilton is tackled by Ryley Ely but gets a handball to Bailey Wileman in Rochester’s 23-point win over Benalla. Photo: Bruce Povey.

Rochester is one game away from confirming its top-two status, with the Tigers edging further clear of their chasers after another competent win at the weekend in Goulburn Valley League football.

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Ninth-placed Benalla wasn’t expected to pose too much of a challenge to the highly-ranked Tigers, but the Saints gave the host a run for its money at Moon Oval in Rochester’s last home game of the season.

Rochy had to recover after a strong third period from its opponents, but came away with the win, 13.7 (85) to 9.8 (62).

The game began in even fashion.

Rochester kicked the first two goals of the game as Hugh Hamilton started what would be a six-goal tally for the afternoon.

Benalla responded with three straight to take the lead, but Hamilton found two more before quarter-time to give the Tigers a 26-21 advantage at the break.

The second started similarly with the sides trading goals, before Rochy put its foot down and added four unanswered goals, seizing control by 30 points at half-time.

The game looked to be slipping away from Benalla when Rochester kicked the first major of the second half, but the Saints rallied through Nathan Wright, who kicked the next four of the game to get his side back within two goals by three-quarter time.

The Tigers needed a response and got one in the final term, tightening its defence and keeping the Saints to two minor scores, while adding two more goals to finish on top.

Hamilton’s six were matched by Wright at the other end as both sides put plenty of faith into their target forwards.

A few weeks removed from performing at the AFL National Championships, Harry Moon made his senior debut for the Tigers.

Moon joined the club in the off-season from Murray league outfit Numurkah.

The Tigers are only required to defeat winless Tatura to lock in a top-two finish.

Assuming it gets past the Bulldogs, Rochy will then look towards a round one finals battle with the league’s dominant side, Kyabram.