INVERELL Saints have started the new Tamworth AFL season with wins over the two Tamworth teams and now prepare for a trip to Moree.
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The Saints hammered the Tamworth Swans in the opening round at home on Varley Oval and then finished the stronger of the two against Tamworth Kangaroos last Saturday for a 12- point win and sit atop the TAFL ladder.
It is a good sport too, coach Dick Gleeson believes.
He’s been coach and president at various times of the club over the past decade or so and thinks he has a good side to work with this season.
“We’re not fit yet,” he half- joked on Saturday after the Saints kicked 11.19 85 to the Roos’ 9.18 72 at No 1 Oval in Tamworth.
“We’ve only been training one night a week for the past month.”
He had five players playing just their second game of Aussie Rules on Saturday after nine “pulled out” the night before to go to a bucks’ party.
Such is life for a coach, he shrugged.
However the five all acquitted themselves well, with one – Troy Hill – kicking one of the final- term goals to make the win safe.
That the Saints kicked four goals and 10 behinds in the final quarter shows fitness and work on kicking accuracy will be key components when Gleeson returns to the training paddock with his side this week.
He might also have three talented young players returning to the fold.
“They say the Under 18 (Group 19 Rugby League) competition might fold. If it does we might get three of our better young players back from Ashford,” he said.
Michael Gould’s booming fourth goal in the final quarter also highlighted a good day for the Saints.
Gould was one of the side’s best again along with the likes of Sam Kimmince, Tyler Desborough, Darren Pithers, Kieran Te Velde and Thomas Williams.
Tamworth Roos coach Tony Bishop has been disappointed by the pre-season training of his side and it showed on Saturday.
He thought the likes of Brock Quinn, Dean Hoy, Daniel Leon, Rhett Graham, Brad Rees and Dan Overeem all played strongly but had a lot of inexperienced players around them.
“We had three first-gamers,” he said.
“It’s unusual for us to do that, blood three at the same time, but we had no choice.”
He thought Ryan Searl’s debut was outstanding and the former OVA Mushie footballer showed excellent footwork.
“I can’t wait to get him back to training,” he said.
Narrabri Eagles celebrated a seven-point win over Tamworth Swans on Saturday, with Zac Lauritsen booting four of the 11 Eagle majors.
Jacob Nichols and Daniel Hughes also kicked two apiece for a side also best served by Hughes, Nichols, Ben Maddern and Andrew Weymer.
Jordan Jeffriess-Tapper (3), Dean Finlay (2) and Chris Oxford (2) kicked multiple goals for the Swans.