Tom McDonagh of Mansfield was locked in a blockbuster ruck battle with Euroa’s Andrew Smith, with both recording more than 40 hit-outs.
It was McDonagh who slightly edged his Magpie opponent in the category, 46 to 43, with McDonagh’s total a league-high for round one.
Benalla’s Josh Marchbank led the league in hit-outs in 2022, and he picked up where he left off with 44 taps against Seymour.
It was a ruck domination for the Saints, who had 52 tap-outs overall to the Lions’ 15, although it was Seymour that ran out a 21-point victor.
Liam Betson was instrumental in Mooroopna’s win over Shepparton Swans, with the Cats’ ruckman soaring high over his Swans counterparts with 44 tap-outs.
GVL hit-out leaders for round one
Tom McDonagh (Mansfield): 46
Josh Marchbank (Benalla): 44
Liam Betson (Mooroopna): 44
Andrew Smith (Euroa): 43
Betson and Marchbank not only had a high number of tap-outs overall, but the quality was on full display as well.
Benalla had 29 hit-outs to advantage in its Good Friday clash compared to Seymour’s one, while Mooroopna had 21 hit-outs to advantage — 20 more than the Swans managed.
Mooroopna’s hit-out differential of plus 46 was also the largest gap between two teams in the opening round
The success McDonagh, Marchbank, Betson and Smith had at the weekend should come as no surprise, given their performances across 2022.
The quartet was the leading hit-out-getters last season and it is already at the top of the leaderboard once again.
Marchbank had the most taps in the competition with 666, with Smith close behind on 638. Betson had 575 hit-outs and McDonagh had 545.
