Trying conditions for round one

by Mitchell Berechree
Any doubts anyone had it was footy season were surely dispelled the instant the curtains were opened Saturday morning.
Rain, wind, clouds and the anticipation of getting a kick greeted us all regardless of where we call home across Gippsland.
And if you were at Foster on Saturday afternoon for the grand final replay, you were even treated to the odd burst of sunshine amongst the downpours and gusts of wind that might well have blown a dog off a chain.
Foster v Fish Creek
Before the season could begin, a quick glimpse in the rear-view mirror, to the most recent game played in the MGFNL was in order.
As they say to the victors go the spoils and so it was that Foster had the opportunity to unfurl the premiership pennant they won in season 2025, before setting about winning another for season 2026.
Both sides, Fish Creek last year's vanquished, and Foster the home team had a handful of recruits to welcome to their clubs and what a welcome it was. The first quarter was a cracker for the home side. Aided by kicking to the scoring end they piled on five majors to a solitary Fish Creek goal by quarter time.
The midfield battle was worth the price of entry alone with Mitch Allot, as per usual, doing his thing for the Tigers up against soon to be cult hero Will McTaggart in the ruck. The two man-mountains battled it out nearly all day with declaring a winner being unfair on one over the other.
Foster had Tom Schnieder join league medal winner Angus Norton in the middle with Bailey Angwin amongst a crew of others who ran through the Tiger midfield over the course of the day. A second quarter injury to Dylan Williams left them short a rotation but they kept on keeping on as they do.
Fish Creek settled after the first break but couldn't convert their ascendency around the ground to the score board. As Fish Creek coach Jarrod Walker noted "not only did Foster take full advantage of the wind in the first stanza but they defended really well in the second quarter" holding his side to a solitary major in what was becoming a hard fought battle.
After the break the arm wrestle predicted by Foster coach Jake Best continued with his counterpart Jarrod Walker sliding some magnets around to try and work his way back into the match. A fine balancing act it was too that Walker faced as coughing up a few goals in pursuit of the several his side needed would have left Fish Creek too far from Foster despite having the scoring end in the last term. With McTaggart going forward, Brody Mitchell and Rhett Wiedemann tag teamed in the ruck and provided more than enough chances for their side to score into the breeze. Alas their four scoring shots amounted to only a single major which was offset by a goal to Foster.
While enjoying the majority of play in the front half Walker again acknowledged Foster's ability to defend for large periods. Fishy were able to get within 11 points during the last quarter but late goals to Best and Angwin sealed the deal and Foster were deserved winners. In having said that the 22-point margin in a low scoring clash probably doesn't reflect how close the game actually was.
Post game Walker said "it was good to see the majority of our new players feature amongst the best" and with Foster too welcoming in both a new coach and several recruits you suspect both sides will improve after the hit out, which is worrying news for the rest of the competition.
But as winning coach Jake Best said in the post-game it was simply "a good, hard-fought win in really wet and windy conditions."
Thorpdale v Boolarra
Not quite the Hatfields and the McCoys but it is fair to say, on the field at least, these two clubs aren't the greatest of mates. And so it came to pass again Saturday, a fierce contest with no quarter given and certainly none asked for was played out with the home side, Thorpdale, claiming the win with a late surge.
In a game that Boolarra coach Brendan Mason said saw both sides with momentum at times and chances to put the other side away it was Thorpdale who did so when it mattered most. With scores level at the last change it was as simple as win the quarter, win the game. A pragmatic Mason acknowledged after the final hooter it was Thorpdale who deserved the result.
For Boolarra the two skippers, Mason Porykali and Joel Mason were joined in the best by second year midfield warrior Tim Potter. And with only four goals kicked it was one each to coach Brendan Mason, Joel Mason, Mat Devon and Timmy Dye for the Dees.
Winning coach Daniel Taylor was happy to see his pre-season efforts play out with a round one victory. Taylor felt his side was perhaps the better team "the majority of the day, with a lot of front half territory that the side couldn't convert to the scoreboard."
The early hard work paid off handsomely however in the last term. Taylor described his side as relentless but was only able to take a breath on the sidelines after "the boys kicked a couple of late goals which resulted in a comfortable win in a low scoring game".