As has been the case in the previous few weeks, however, it was the Saints that got the jump on their opposition, booting 4.1 for the opening term – three of which came from boom recruit Nathan Wright — compared to an inaccurate 3.4 from the Tigers, as the home side enjoyed a three-point lead heading into the first break at Benalla Showgrounds.
In line with their recent performances, Benalla proved it is a vastly improved side in comparison to last season, with Jarrad Waite’s troops continuing the fight in the second term, matching Rochester’s two goals, although the Tigers did manage to climb ahead by the barest of margins at the main break, leading 39 to 38.
It would be in the third term, the so-called premiership quarter, that the Tigers broke through, putting five goals on the board while keeping Benalla to two, as the classy Tigers began to assert themselves on the contest, with Hamilton brothers Wil (three goals) and Cooper (one goal) hitting the scoreboard, although it would be the third of them, Hugh, that took the game beyond Benalla’s reach in the final term.
With a 19-point lead still well within the reach of a Benalla comeback, Hugh Hamilton put the game beyond doubt with a three-goal performance in the final term to make it six for the contest, while Nash Ramage and Wil Hamilton also added one each in the face of Benalla’s three for the term, as the Tigers stormed home in the second half to record a 15.14 (104) to 11.4 (70) win, their fifth of the year.
It was a best-on-ground performance from Hugh Hamilton, who was joined by Andy Henderson and Mitch Trewhella (one goal) in Rochester’s best, while Nate Rasmussen (two goals) and Adam McPhee were also influential.
There are plenty of positives in the loss for Benalla, however, with Wright booting a game-high eight majors in the loss to take his season tally to 20, two shy of the league lead, while the competitiveness shown to be right in the contest against one of the better sides in the competition until the final siren is a step in the right direction.
Rochester will look to make it 6-1 this week when it takes on Tatura at Moon Oval, the Bulldogs still yet to win a game, while the Saints will attempt to notch win number two against Euroa at Memorial Oval, in what shapes as an entertaining clash.
