By Abby Collins
Claws were out as the Labrador Tigers faced off against the Mt Gravatt Vultures.
In a ferocious Round 3 clash, the Tigers pounced on the opportunity to score big, securing a dominant 138-point victory over the Vultures.
From the opening siren, the experienced Tigers seized control of the game, showcasing their sheer size and skill against the valiant but outmatched Vultures.
Roaring out of the gates, the Tigers scored nine goals to the Vulture’s two in the first quarter.
Attacking from the very start of the game, the Tigers held even pressure against their smaller and younger opponents.
The experience of Labrador was evident in their clean and methodical plays.
Ben Gibbeson, Aiden Fyfe, Baily Brown, Tom Simpson, Cooper Anderson, Alex Fyfe, William Derrington and Jake Goldsmith piled on one or more goals each in the first quarter alone, giving Labrador an early lead.
The effort of the Vultures did not go unnoticed as two goals kicked their way onto the scoreboard from senior team newcomers Xavier Smith and Maison Staas.
The Tigers’ dominance began to falter heading into the second quarter with Mt Gravatt stopping some of the momentum rolling out against them.
A half-time locker-room chat set the Tigers’ eyes back on the prize. Labrador coach Clint Watt turned to his leadership team to sort out the on-field fumbles. With too many missed opportunities for his liking, his players were ready to step back into action as half-time ended.
The Vice Captain’s renewed energy showed an evident change in motivation. In the absence of their injured captain, Tom Simpson steered his team with smooth playmaking and strong, vocal leadership.
Mt Gravatt’s attempts at building momentum were thwarted when the ball reached far enough out of the Tigers forward 50. Pumping more effort into the defence as the game went on, the Vultures landed some key intercepts. Debutant Connor Lambert was able to keep the Tigers on their toes with his excellent marking ability.
A physically challenging third quarter was home to many frenzied packs. Thomas Hurst, another Mt Gravatt newbie this season, scored a much-needed goal for the Vultures, using the fumbles from both sides to his advantage. A smooth ball grab and kick landed the Vultures a couple points closer to the Tigers.
Mt Gravatt continued to challenge the Tigers heading into the fourth quarter despite the 77-point margin.
Heath Seadon, Kaeden Corboy and Xavier Smith each managing to chip away at the scoreboard, slimming down the margin in any way they could before time was called.
Labrador scored eight goals to the Vultures two in the final quarter. Even as the Tigers extended their lead, the Vultures refused to surrender, continuing to battle and put points on the board.
Labrador Coach Clint Watts, is already looking ahead to the next game and has pinpointed areas of improvement for the team despite the dominant win.
“We’ve got one on the board and it’s going to give the team confidence,” he said.
“We strayed a bit in the second quarter. We weren’t as consistent as we should’ve been, but we got it back on track in the second half.
“This win will be good momentum rolling into our Round 4 match with Surfers, which will be hard.”
Mt Gravatt 2.0 2.1 4.3 6.4 (40)
Labrador 9.3 11.6 19.10 27.16 (178)
Goals
Mt Gravatt: Seadon 2, Corboy, Hurts, Smith, Staas
Labrador: Goldsmith 6, Fyfe 5, Krok 4, Pearce 3, Simpson 3, Anderson 2, Fyfe 2, Derrington, Morgan
Best Players
Mt Gravatt: Fletcher Clare, Samuel Nankervis, Thomas Hurst, Austin Brent, Heath Seadon, Jack Paterson
Labrador: Charlie Offermans, Aiden Fyfe, Tom Simpson, Christian Webster, Bailey Brown, Jay Foon
Injury
Mt Gravatt: Nil
Labrador: Derrington (Shoulder)
Other Results
Sherwood v Morningside
Sherwood: 3.1 4.4 9.5 11.8 (74)
Morningside: 5.2 11.6 14.7 17.8 (110)
Goals
Sherwood: Campbell 2, Waistcoat 2, Austin, Baker, Cruice, Harris, Hude, Knight, Mitchell
Morningside: Milford 3, Cockatoo 2, Downie 2, Godwin 2, Griffiths 2, Bertoli-Simmonds, Hodge, Mcdonagh, Nelson, Purslow, Waters
Best Players
Sherwood: Dan Edwards, Will Fletcher, Owen Collins, Jack James, Ethan Harris, Will Cruice
Morningside: Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds, Dylan Swann, Thomas Griffiths, Nakia Cockatoo, Jacob Lohmann, Max Nelson
Maroochydore v Wilston Grange
Maroochydore: -.3 1.5 2.5 4.10 (34)
Wilston Grange: 4.5 7.8 12.11 12.11 (83)
Goals
Maroochydore: Scholard 2, Faulkner, McLachlan
Wilston Grange: Fidler 4, Rhook 3, Gordon, Mathieson, Mifsud, Raines, Stewart
Best Players
Maroochydore: Hudson Vivian, Bailey Hahn, Sam Mckenzie, Joshua Wagner
Wilston Grange: Bailey Gordon, Rhys Mathieson, Zach Westerberg, Jacquin Mifsud, Daniel Weetra, Ben McGinness
Surfers v Aspley
Surfers: 2.1 5.2 10.6 13.7 (85)
Aspley: 3.4 8.5 9.7 13.8 (86)
Goals
Surfers: Patten 5, Rekers 4, Beardsell 2, Djurovitch, Jewell
Aspley: Hill 3, Dodge 2, Lonergan 2, Coombes, Crawley, Leahy, Mahon, Peppin, Watson
Best Players
Surfers: Benjamin Woodburn, Billy Beardsell, Nicolas Harrison, Zac Smith, Jayme Rekers, Anthony Djurovitch
Aspley: Errin Wasley-Black, Will Wolbers, Josh Coombes, Macauley Lonergan, Daniel Henderson, Jasper Craven
Redland Victoria Point v Broadbeach
Redland Victoria Point: 3.6 4.6 6.8 8.12 (60)
Broadbeach: 3.3 6.9 6.13 7.14 (56)
Goals
Redland Victoria Point: Brown 2, Hammelmann 2, Smith 2, Cameron, Reeves
Broadbeach: Hull 2, Erickson, Filippone, Harrington, Hitchcock, Lockett
Best Players
Redland Victoria Point: Adrian Williams, Ethan Petterwood, Craig Malone, Bailey Reeves, Scott Miller, Campbell Aston
Broadbeach: Jake Wood, Blake Erickson, Justin Bishop, Alan ONeill, Corey Hitchcock, Hamilton Howard
Palm Beach Currumbin v Noosa
Palm Beach Currumbin: 4.6 7.12 11.14 17.17 (119)
Noosa: 1.4 3.6 10.12 11.18 (84)
Goals
Palm Beach Currumbin: Beaman 6, Cilmi 3, Dawson, Hall, Hickey, Hollier, Hull, Jolley, McInney, Rubock
Noosa: Conn 2, Freeman 2, Rodgers 2, Airey-Bamback, Fitzpatrick, Pettigrove, Tarling, Tuohey
Best Players
Palm Beach Currumbin: Cory Beaman, Fred Valpied, Salvatore Cilmi, Marcus White, Ethan Sekac, Aaron Hall
Noosa: Mitchell Conn, Benjamin McNiece, Jai Fitzpatrick, Lachlan Flagg, Nathan Horbury, Rhys Tarling
