Under 18.5's : In a bright opening, both teams attacked the ball with plenty of gusto and not a shortage of skill. The Tigers drew first blood, but Terang showed plenty of firepower and half way through the opening quarter, they had got on top by a goal and were enjoying a dominance of possession. The home side converted this possession into scoreboard pressure and by the initial changeover, Terang enjoyed a 3 goal lead. The 2nd term saw more of the same with Terang still claiming territorial rights, but not being able to capitalise fully on the scoreboard. A couple of factors were proving significant, notably Teran's marking strength and their ability to create a loose man which enabled them to set up chains of possession and heap pressure on the Tiger defence. Still, the visitors stuck to their guns and at half time were a matter of 4 goals in arrears.
The Tigers launched a comeback in the early stages of the 3rd term and got within a kick of Terang. However the effort seemed to tell and a leaky defence enabled Terang to re-establish their authority and take a 22 point buffer into the final stopover. Terang made all the running in the early part of the final term, their ability to find a team-mate with their disposal again put the Tiger defence to the sword and for the first time in the match, they showed signs of buckling. The home side extended their lead to some 7 or 8 goals, but then Portland tightened up and were able to initiate their own series of attacks and by games end were able to narrow the gap considerably.The Tigers were given a stern test of their credentials and there were some vital lessons to be picked up which need work on for the future. Jake Hawker was gallant as he fought tenaciously for every possession and had good support from skipper Michael Matthews. Others to attract attention were Daniel Jackson, Zach Telfer, Jake Wilson and Patrick Haylock.
Final scores: Portland 9-5=59
Terang-Mortlake 14-8=92
Reserves : The early skirmishes saw it go goal for goal with the fine conditions seeing a reasonable display of skill. Terang managed to sneak a couple of goals towards the end of the quarter which saw them edge a goal in front at the first crossover. The see-sawing nature of the game continued in the 2nd term, with each team sharing the lead, but it was interesting to see if the tempo of the game could be sustained. With spacious gaps on the ground appearing and energy sapping weather, fitness would have a bearing on the game's outcome. Portland, with frequent use of the interchange bench, seemed to have a little more run in the final stages of the 1st half and managed to have lead of a couple of goals at the main break.
The Tigers maintained their intensity in the 3rd quarter and running the ball with a lot of fluency into the forward line, were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over nicely. Goals came from all distances and they were able to take a 30 point lead into the final term. Indeed the sting did go out of the game as it progressed into the final stages, but it was the Tigers who displayed a superior fitness and were able to utilise the ball more effectively. The final siren saw the visitors in control mode and the scoreboard read quite handsomely in Portland's favour by 50 points. Lots of good players with the more noticeable being Jaron Quinlivan, Jake Patterson, Dylan Adams, Delwyn Beavis, Jamie Blacksell and Dylan Barr.
Final scores: Portland 20-11=131
Terang-Mortlake 13-3=81
Seniors : Continuing on from the previous game, the Seniors started at a frantic pace and it was Terang who had the majority of possession, but failed to capitalise on this early advantage with many shots for goalgoing astray. The Tigers appeared lethargic and were second to the ball in most contests as well as choosing the wrong option. But towards the end of the term they managed to injected a little more intensity into their game to get a couple of goals. However, Terang were not to be denied and they asserted their superiority to hold a 14 point margin at quarter time. It was a case of a steep learning curve for the Tigers in the second quarter as Terang seized the initiative, and with telling use of the ball, set up endless attacks that, fortunately for the Tigers, weren't always accurately finished off. Having numbers at the ball and running into space, the Terang engine room provided their tall forward targets with a feast of chances. Portland looked somewhat shell-shocked at the long interval at which point they trailed by an expanding gap of 30 points.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, the scenario became significantly worse in the 3rd term as Terang went on an unanswered string of 5 goals in a very short space of time. Portland were left flat-footed as the opposition spread the ball around at will, hitting targets and scoring at will. Somehow, Portland dug deep and when they seemed down for the long count, they managed to put together some reasonable passages of play to put together 5 majors without reply. It appeared to give the Tigers a sniff of victory, but they were still 38 points in arrears at the final break. It proved to be delusional as Terang resumed their scoring spree in the last term. In some respects the visitors contributed to their own downfall by committing basic errors, such as errant kicking to position, dropped marks and fumbling when in clear possession. But in between these frustrating times there were some elements of positive ball work that suggests that once the team adjusts to the tempo of HFNL, success is a possibility. However it was not to be in this case as Terang strolled home by 32 points. The Tigers did have some honest triers with the more prominent being Scott Clark, Sam Flemng, Daniel Falcone, Beau Bentley, Justin Van Heugten and Jordan Kane.
Final scores: Portland 11-11=77
Terang-Mortlake 15-19=109
Last Modified on 21/04/2013 10:04