Sport
23 May, 2025
Tigers overpower Warriors
The Stawell Warriors senior football team suffered a 27-point loss to Nhill at Davis Park in round five of the Wimmera Football Netball League.
The opening quarter was tight in tough conditions with wind favouring one end, and it was the Tigers that took a two-point lead into the break, with both teams only managing a solitary goal for the quarter.
The game opened in the second quarter with seven goals kicked, with the Warriors kicking four of them to take a three-point lead into halftime.
With the wind picking up, the Tigers used it to their advantage, getting on top around the contest kicking six goals to zero to lead by 31 points at the final break.
The Warriors fought out the game well, winning the quarter, but the damage was done with the Tigers winning 12.8.80 to 7.11.53.
Cody Driscoll was excellent up forward for the Warriors kicking five goals with Lucky Ika and Paul Summers kicking one apiece.
Charlie Gibson was the standout player through the midfield along with Ethan Marrow down back. Josh Fowkes battled well in the ruck and Zachary Marrow and Jarrod Illig were also among the better players for the Warriors.
Warriors co-coach James Sullivan said it wasn’t their best game, and they couldn’t respond in the third quarter when Nhill started to run.
“It was a scrappy affair and evenly matched in the first half and it wasn’t our best football, but it wasn’t theirs either,” Sullivan said.
“The pressure from both sides was great and unfortunately in the third quarter they kicked away from us, and we couldn’t match them.
“They beat us at the source and got their running game going and moved the ball well and to their credit we couldn’t go with them.”
Sullivan said Charlie Gibson was brilliant through the midfield.
“Charlie was clean with the ball and gave us drive and was terrific,” Sullivan said.
“I thought our back six held well, especially in the first and third quarters and Ethan Marrow did a good job for us down there and Josh Fowkes battled hard in the ruck.”
The Warriors now host cellar-dwellers Horsham Demons at Central Park on Saturday and Sullivan said the focus during the week was on the football they want to play.
“We are not taking Horsham lightly and we know we have a lot of work to do,” Sullivan said.
“We weren’t happy with the game last weekend and three of the four quarters the week before that, so we just need to get back to playing the brand of football we want to play and have shown we can play.”
Sullivan highlighted some improvements they have made, and what they need to improve on.
“We made some changes to the playing list and game plan from last year and it’s a bit of an evolving process and something we won’t get right from the start as it’s still evolving,” Sullivan said.
“We have been defending well and have had some good ball movement and have been up and running but haven’t been able to do that consistently.
“Our skill level has been off, and we need to improve that and also our hunt and getting our ball-winning ability back.”
The Warriors are nearly at full strength with James Sullivan and Angus Barham close to returning from injury.
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