MICHAEL Gould celebrated his elevation to the captaincy by kicking a career best 13 goals for his Inverell Saints when they began their Essential Energy Tamworth AFL season with an 84-point win over Muswellbrook Cats in the middle game of a season opening triple header at Tamworth’s No 1 Oval on Saturday.
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While the New England Nomads demolished the Tamworth Swans by 131 points in the opening game and Tamworth Kangaroos finished too solidly to beat Gunnedah Bulldogs by 21 points in the third game the Saints booted 21.14 140 to the Cats’ 9.2 56 for an excellent start.
Saints coach Jason Gobbert was unable to attend the big season launch which made Gould’s job even more important, even if the vice-captain was just filling in for the first game.
“Just captain for the day,” the 23-year-old Bindaree Beef recruitment officer said.
“We played pretty well. We had 10 new players today so that’s going to be a challenge fitting them all in.”
Of his 13 goals he was delighted.
“11 was my best,” he said.
“I had good delivery.”
He thought the likes of Jono Elphick and one of the newest Saints, Hayden Chappell, were outstanding and made it easy for the tall full forward to finish off.
The Saints, he said, have been training well under Jason Gobbert with between 22-24 regular
attendees.
Young up-and-coming players such as Hamish Bird, Mat King and Mitch Blake will also be good for the club in 2013, he said.
New Muswellbrook coach Paul Duncan said his side was lacking a “fair bit of fitness” after being forced to train on a junior ground near their home Werriman Field, which is being renovated with a new irrigation
system.
“That means the first month or so will have the Cats on the road, starting with Saturday’s clash with Gunnedah in Gunnedah.
Meanwhile the Saints tackle New England Nomads in a huge second round match at Bellevue Oval this Saturday while the Roos and Swans have a local derby at No 1 Oval
Tamworth.
TAMWORTH AFL
NEW ENGLAND NOMADS 20 29 149 (Simon Stubbs 7, James Boatfield 7, Jed Ellis-Cluff 2, David Richards, Jon Freund, David Graan, Tom Granleese gls) d TAMWORTH SWANS 2 6 18 (Shawn Dalby, Paul Tapper gls).
INVERELL SAINTS 21.14 140 (Michael Gould 13, Russell Brien 3, Matthew King 2, Hamish Bird, Lachlan McDonald, Chris Whitton gls) d MUSWELLBROOK CATS 9.2 56 (Nick Bottrill 2, Cameron Benkovic, Jackson Bower, Brian Martin, Robert Jordan, Ken Garland, David McGuirk, Cameron Davis gls)
TAMWORTH KANGAROOS 13. 15 93 (Matthew Hodge 5, Daniel Gimbert 2, Alex Hudson, Ben Kennedy, Mitchell Doyle, Frew Murden, Matt Hughes, Daniel Overeem gls) d GUNNEDAH BULLDOGS 10.12 72 (Ben Middlebrook 4, Scott Hardy 2, Andrew George, Mitchell Swain, Michael Kennedy, Corey Matthews gls)
