The stage was set as Berrigan hosted Jerilderie in the Picola League match of the round under lights.
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The Berrigan Seniors were pumped up for another rivalry match, this week against neighbours Jerilderie Demons.
It was bound to be a close game with Berrigan sitting undefeated on top of the ladder and Jerilderie determined to change that.
The first quarter was the most even of the match with only a couple of goals the difference going into the second term.
In quarter two the Demons had all the momentum, but couldn’t convert in front of goals, kicking 3.5 for the term to Berrigan’s one goal.
The Saints were out for revenge after a run of big losses in their past few meetings, but didn’t start well coming into half-time break with a 31 point deficit.
Jerilderie kicked the first goal after the main break to put the lead out to a game high 37 points.
However, after that, the Saints came out firing, dominating play in the entire third quarter bringing the margin to within five points in Jerilderie’s favour.
Berrigan refused to go away, with their five unanswered goals rattling Jerilderie’s cage and making things a bit more interesting going into the final change.
The final quarter was a stalemate between the two clubs as no side seemed to be able to pull away.
With the margin only five points going into the last term, tensions were high, and the crowd was riding every wave alongside the players.
Jerilderie had their chances to put the game away early in the quarter but couldn’t finish.
The Saints persisted, only kicking one more point, while the Demons made it an eight point deficit.
The match winning moment came with around five minutes left when Kane Hawkins took a mark inside 50 to seal the deal and put the game to bed.
In the end, Jerilderie came out on top by 14 points with Zander Nash kicking three for the night handing the Berrigan Seniors their first loss of the season.
For the Saints Jake Dalgliesh and Matt Whelan again proved instrumental down back as both are just as valuable at defending as well as turning their defensive stops into offence.
Matt Ross was too strong against Jerilderie in the ruck giving his mids first use all game.
Xavier Fox was a reliable utility, plugging holes wherever the Saints needed.
Despite the loss it was still a massive turnaround for the Saints based on the previous year’s performances.
It was good to have such a good hit out between the biggest rivals and the atmosphere under lights made it even more electric.
Final score: Berrigan 8.4 (52) def by Jerilderie 9.12 (66).
Reserves
The Berrigan Reserves sang the song loud after taking down major rival Jerilderie.
The reserves battled hard in what was a contested game for both sides but in the last quarter the Saints showed their class and took the win by 18 points.
Zavia McPhee had his best outing of the season giving the Saints a big bodied option in the midfield as well as a strong target up forward. Stuart Pyle and Ben Ackerly were both reliable down back, not letting anything go past them.
Mick Fiore was valuable to the Saints in any position he was thrown, working hard all game.
Goal kickers for the Saints were spread even this week with Jacob Boyd, Troy Poynton, Zavia Mcphee and Connor Thornton all kicking one each.
Both sides were pretty evenly matched for most of the game.
Jerilderie had a couple of injuries that left them battling a bit in the last quarter, struggling with the ball in the forward line to convert to goals with Berrigan winning 32-14.
Brock Kocks and Juz Lawton played solid games in the midfield with Dan Finch and Harrison Curtin also playing well.
Final score: Berrigan 4.8 (32) def Jerilderie 1.8 (14).
Thirds
Another big win for the young Saints over rivals Jerilderie.
From the start Berrigan dominated the possession and the game.
Tom Baxter played his best game yet getting plenty of the footy and using it well.
Captain Jeremy Packer also played well.
Harley and Logan Cooper looked great donning the red white and black again.
Final score: Berrigan 11.17 (83) def Jerilderie 0.1 (1).
Fourths
The youngest Saints took on neighbouring rivals Jerilderie.
With a later start time, both the weather and contest warmed up quickly.
The mid-field led from the front with great clearance work.
The combination of Nick Arnold and Jordan Swann proved to again be outstanding for the Saints.
Jack Phillips was able to get first opportunity at the ball which set the play in motion. It was our toughest game of the year and our boys really stood up.
The likes of Will Batten and Dusty Ryan played against much taller opposition, but ran harder at the ball and their determination was unstoppable.
Each Saint put their head over the ball to win the footy.
A very solid win for the Saints, every player deserved an award.
Berrigan awards went to Nick Arnold, Jordan Swann, Hudson Ware, Tully Ryan, Jack Phillips, Dusty Ryan, and Mason Ford.
In a fierce contest against their arch-rivals, the young Dees showed grit and determination in what proved to be a tight tussle from the outset.
Led by standout performances from Jackson Pitt and Zavier Rorato leading from the front, the Dees made it clear they were in for the fight.
Young star in the making, Patrick Knight, impressed across halfback, consistently cleaning up loose balls.
The Jerilderie team’s never-say-die attitude was evident across the ground, with strong contributions from Hudson Daniel, Campbell Reynolds, Blake Parker, Jobe Marshall, and Bailey Miller, who were all among the best players on the day.
Final score: Berrigan 8.8 (56) def Jerilderie 4.3 (27).
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