Four teams remain undefeated after two rounds of the Goulburn Valley League’s 2023 season, but Rochester is at the opposite end of the spectrum as one of four winless teams.
The number of teams without a win will reduce by one this weekend as bottom teams Benalla and Tatura meet in a third round fixture.
Rochester lost by 30 points to Seymour on Saturday at King’s Park in Seymour, kicking five of its goals for the game in the last quarter.
Seymour led by 24 points at quarter-time, but in the next three quarters extended that margin by just one goal to eventually earn the four premiership points 11.12 (78) to the Tigers’ 7.6 (48).
Seymour, Euroa, Mooroopna and the Tigers’ round three opponent, reigning premier Echuca, are the four teams that sit on top of the table with two wins to start the season.
Rochester sits 10th on the ladder after losing to Kyabram in round one by 38 points and to the Lions on the weekend.
The Tigers failed to post a score in the opening term, but its defensive work restricted Seymour to only three scoring shots in the second term.
By half-time the margin was still 24 points as key defenders Hamish Hooppell and Jacob Atley matched the exploits of their Lions opponents.
The uninspiring contest continued in the third term when Seymour added three goals to Rochester’s one, before the match opened up in an entertaining final-term finish.
There were nine goals kicked in the final term, Rochester key forward Sean Williams coming to life and finishing with three of his team’s five majors.
He and James McPhee, who kicked two goals against Kyabram a week earlier, kicked all five of Rochester’s goals in the defeat.
Williams returned to the Tigers this year after kicking 20 goals from 11 matches for Eaglehawk in the Bendigo league last season.
He is capable of providing the Tigers with a regular avenue to goal, having a 64-goal season to his credit in 2018.
From his two games for Rochester he has kicked five goals, enabling Mitch Cricelli to spend more time in the ruck and providing a target for Blake Evans and Nick O’Connor coming out of defence.
O’Connor missed the first match of the season and his inclusion was important with Nathan McCarty missing the weekend’s match, and there still being no sign of either Doug Wren or co-captain Nathan Marrone.
Rookie ruckman Charlie Palmer provided a highlight with his first goal at senior level, while Joe Atley was a bull in the midfield and matched it with a quality Seymour opposition that included a pair of league medallists: Ben Rigoni and Jack O’Sullivan.
Echuca won its match with Kyabram under lights by 21 points, despite the Bombers having five more scoring shots for the evening.
While the focus of Tigers coach Ash Watson and his brains trust will be Echuca, there will be one eye cast a little further into the future when the Tigers are due to play two of those four winless teams — Shepparton and Tatura — in rounds four and five.
SCOREBOARD
GVL ROUND TWO
SEYMOUR v ROCHESTER
King’s Park, Seymour
Seymour 3.6, 4.8, 7.9, 11.12 (78)
Rochester 0.0, 1.2, 2.4, 7.6 (48)
GOALS: Seymour: L. Waite 4, J. Alford 2, T. O’Sullivan 2, M. Hartley 1, N. Beattie 1, T. Davey 1; Rochester: Sean Williams 3, James McPhee 2, Charlie Palmer 1, Joe Atley 1.
BEST: Seymour: M. Hartley, B. Cooney, W. Brock, L. Waite, H. Jones; Rochester: Joe Atley, Mitch Cricelli, Jacob Atley, Nick O’Connor, Hamish Hooppell.