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Goals: Purcell 4, Curry, B. Eyers 1.
Best: Angus Curry, Thomas Longmire, Tom Forrest, Tex Longmire, Deagan Purcell.
Corowa-Rutherglen were overrun by the Myrtleford Alpine Saints on Saturday, despite a spirited opening quarter from the young Roos outfit.
With a handful of injuries and unavailabilities, Corowa entered the clash undermanned but showed plenty of fight early as they looked to capitalise on a slow-starting Saints side.
The Roos burst out of the blocks with youngster Degan Purcell continuing his outstanding form, booting two early majors to ignite the contest.
Purcell has taken his game to another level in recent weeks, consistently hitting the scoreboard with piercing accuracy and energy inside forward 50.
Stand-in captain Angus Curry also led from the front, pouncing on a costly Saints error to extend the Roos’ advantage to three goals early in the opening term.
Corowa’s confidence continued to grow, with Brodie Eyers slotting his first senior goal following an undisciplined passage of play from Myrtleford.
At quarter-time, the Roos held an impressive 18-point lead.
Development co-captain Deky Yates was awarded his senior debut and showed promising signs throughout the afternoon, carrying the strong form he has displayed in recent weeks into senior football.
Coach Daryn Creswell was pleased with the side’s early effort but admitted the team was unable to maintain the intensity for four quarters.
“We showed real fight in the first half but unfortunately ran out of petrol tickets as the game wore on,” Creswell said.
Kaelan Bradtke battled in the ruck for Corowa Rutherglen.
Corowa’s defence once again stood tall under immense pressure.
Tom Longmire and Tom Forrest, fresh from VFL duties with the Sydney Swans reserves, battled strongly and intercepted several key entries inside defensive 50.
However, the Saints lifted after half-time and showed their class, taking control of the contest through the midfield and around stoppages.
Lead by big man Riley Smith, Myrtleford seized the momentum and never looked back.
Tex Longmire continued to impress for the Roos, finishing with five tackles and four contested possessions in another composed performance.
Myrtleford capitalised heavily on turnovers and punished Corowa on the scoreboard, piling on 17 of the final 19 goals of the match to break the game open.
Purcell remained a bright spark for the Roos, adding his third and fourth goals in the second half to provide some resistance as the Saints surged away.
In the end, Myrtleford proved far too strong, running away with a commanding 13-goal victory.
The Roos will now regroup through the interleague bye before facing last season’s grand finalists, the Wangaratta Magpies, in a fortnight.
Development Squad
Co CaptainTaj Smith gets away for the Roos, kicking a goal and being among their best players.
Corowa-Rutherglen’s Development Squad took on the Myrtleford Alpine Saints on Saturday, with several changes to the side forcing the young Roos outfit to dig deep throughout the contest.
Will Bott returned to the captaincy role for the first time in two years, leading the side alongside co-captain Taj Smith, with the club’s regular leaders Deky Yates and Josh Eder stepping up to senior football duties.
The Saints burst out of the blocks early, capitalising on costly mistakes from the Roos midfield and defence to quickly gain ascendancy in the contest.
Corowa struggled to generate scoreboard pressure in the opening term, with the Roos not registering their first major until the 17-minute mark of the quarter.
Myrtleford carried that momentum into the second term, although it was the Roos who struck first after the break. Rory “Juice” O’Brien showed encouraging signs throughout the afternoon, providing energy and effort around the contest.
Angus Massey and Jesse Canell continued their impressive form through the midfield, generating valuable run and carry while working tirelessly to provide spark for the Roos.
Kade Kushcert also made a welcome return to the line-up, showing composure and experience across half-back in a reliable defensive performance.
His presence added valuable stability to the young side.
Despite the Roos’ effort and determination across the four quarters, the Saints proved too strong in the end, with the youthful Corowa development squad unable to reel in the deficit.
Corowa Rutherglen Thirds player Levi Arnold filled in for the development squad on the weekend.
Under 18s
Heartbreak for young Roos.
Corowa 4.9 33 def by Saints 5.9 39
Goals: Perna 2, Chester, Turner 1
Best: Archer Coppolino, Noah McSweeney, Hudson Kuschert, Tommy Kafarela, Austin Ross-Anderson, Zach Arnold
Corowa-Rutherglen Under 18s fell agonisingly short on Saturday, going down to the Myrtleford Alpine Saints by just six points in a hard-fought contest.
The game began as a fierce defensive battle, with only one major scored between the two sides in the opening quarter as pressure and intensity rose around the ground.
Captains Archer Coppolino and Noah McSweeney once again led strongly from the front, continuing to provide outstanding leadership for the young Roos side.
Coppolino, who has recently been training with the interleague Under 18s squad, continues to showcase the talent and work ethic that has made him one of the side’s standout performers this season.
Hudson Kuschert stepped up from the Under 16s and brought plenty of youthful energy and enthusiasm to the side, impressing in his opportunity at the higher level.
Jansen Perna was influential in attack, finishing with two goals for the day, while Leroy Chester and Archer Turner each added singles to keep the Roos in the contest.
The game came down to the final term, but the Saints were able to surge late and snatch victory from the young Roos in a heartbreaking finish.
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