Friday’s extreme heat was almost an afterthought for Tongala’s defensive unit during the traditional Good Friday bout with Murray Football League nemesis Nathalia at Tongala Recreation Reserve.
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Creating more headaches than the scorching temperature were the Purples’ two key forwards, Alex Hicks and Liam Evans, who combined to kick 14 of their team’s 20 goals in the one-sided season opener.
Hicks and Evans each kicked seven goals in the 83-point win, despite Hicks spending the final quarter on the field with a foot injury.
Nathalia won 20.10 (130) to 6.11 (47), the Blues rotating several players through its attacking end as it was without a key forward target.
Tongala recruits Nick Woods and Angus Scoble had responsibility for the Purple goalkickers for much of the first half, Woods returning to the club after an impressive season with Girgarre in the Kyabram District League and Scoble playing only his third game of senior football, having moved from Kyabram.
Scoble, who is on the Bendigo Pioneers roster, was assigned the big task of standing Evans by new Blues coach Billy Barnes.
Barnes has taken over a team that is unrecognisable from the one that only two seasons ago lost a semi-final to Moama.
Just half a dozen players — Jordan Souter, Brayden Nevett, Sam Cipriani, Kyle Fitzgerald, Dominic Watt and Levi Taylor (who played in the reserves) are left from that senior line-up.
The new coach, limping from the sidelines to address his players with a heavily bandaged knee, would have probably accepted responsibility for Evans if he was fit to play in the season opener.
Evans kicked 94 goals from 17 games last season, but in the first three quarters played second fiddle to Hicks.
Evans kicked three of his seven goals in the final term to start the year where he finished off in 2023.
Last year, Evans kicked 29 goals in two matches against Rumbalara and added another 12 goals to his tally in one match against Tocumwal. Against Tongala he kicked eight goals in two outings.
Hicks kicked just one goal against Tongala last season, in their round 11 meeting, and and 10 of his 26 goals for the season came against the winless Rumbalara team.
Nathalia had a 48-point lead by half-time, expanding that to 68 by three-quarter-time with a five-goal-to-one third term.
In the final quarter, the determined Tongala kicked three majors to add respectability to the scoreline.
Charlie Angley was the pick of the Blues’ many recruits, his dash out of defence creating a temporary respite from the domination of the Nathalia forwards.
Of the other Blues newcomers, Matt Caaia started in the centre of the ground. However, he did his best work in attack and could have finished with four goals if not for a couple of near misses.
He was the Blues’ only multiple goalkicker (with two goals) and offered a target during his rotation with Souter, Mitch Gugliotti, Mackenzie Cowley and another recruit, Brodie Easton, through the centre of the ground.
Tongala captain Fitzgerald probably broke even against a much bigger opponent in Nathalia star Brodie Ross.
He and Watt were the most aggressive of the Blues mid-fielders but lacked the polish of their opposition and regularly their hard work was undone by a lack of connection with the attack.
Cirpriani, Souter and returning star Nevett were key targets in attack.
They were often forced further afield to provide an outlet kick for the likes of desperate defenders Alex Williams and Bryce Denham.
At the opposite end of the ground, Evans kicked two goals in the first five minutes of the match before Caaia put the Blues on the board.
The Nathalia star kicked his third in the first minute of the second term, and despite regularly going into attack, the Blues’ efforts were thwarted by intercept marking from Ryan Butler.
Playing in his 200th game for Tongala, Jayden Tucker, was among several Blues players punching above their weight.
Tongala was undersized and forced to work much harder for reward than the Purples appeared to do when going into attack.
Cipriani offered some physical resistance to the Nathalia onslaught, but strong mid-field work from Bailey Bell, Jared Laffy and Nathan Oakes had the Purples on top in the clearance department.
Nathalia’s 10th goal in the second term, and Hicks’ third, made it an eight-goal game at the long break.
Tom Cooper, who spent time at both ends of the ground, was switched onto Evans in the third term, but it was four goals from Hicks that blew the game apart.
Another recruit, Billy Mclay, showed positive signs on a wing and Tristan Watson floated in and out of the game after an impressive 2023 season.
Another teenager, first gamer Jesse Johnstone, came onto the ground after half-time and, despite having played a full Under-17 game, was very impressive with his output.
A 55m bomb from Cirpriani to start the third term was one of few highlights for the Blues in a period where they were outscored five goals to one.
Left-footed livewire Mitch Gugliotti improved the further the match progressed and could have been rewarded with two goals if not for his inaccurate kicking.
Riley Clarke, who started in the mid-field, was moved into defence for the last quarter and influenced Tongala’s improved performance in the final term.
Purples ruckman Brodie Ross moved into the goal square when Hicks left the field and kicked a goal to start the final term.
It was a far cry from the thrilling finish to last year’s Good Friday match when Nathalia scraped home by one goal.
The Blues have Echuca United next weekend, the Eagles managing only two goals in a 111-point loss to traditional rival Moama.
Former Kyabram star Liam Barrett, who joined the Magpies from Bendigo league club Golden Square this year, kicked four goals in the win.
Barrett was at Kyabram in their premiership years of 2016-17 and had spent the past five years with the Bendigo club.
– Riley Souter and Sam Tyler both kicked two goals for Tongala in the reserves match and winger Levi Tyler showed plenty with his athleticism on a wing.
It was not enough for the high performing team to start the season with a victory.
The Blues were within striking distance at three-quarter-time, but ended up losing by 35 points as 11 of their opponent’s 14 goals came from three key forwards.
Kyle Halliwell and Marley McConnell offered stern resistance and Kade Northausen was another to impress.
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