Tigers and Saints produce wet Indigenous Round show

The pre-match acknowledgement of country ahead of the Indigenous Round match at Richardson Park was a moving ceremony. Photo: @capturedby_kj

INDIGENOUS Round was celebrated in style at Richardson Park on Saturday.

As the AFL community celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and players, and their incredible contribution to Australian football, Sawtell/Toormina provided a spectacular show of Indigenous dancing, acknowledgement of country and a smoking ceremony.

One team who was clearly inspired by the production was Grafton’s senior men who jumped out of the blocks in soggy conditions to kick away to an insurmountable 31-point lead at the first change.

The Tigers were first to the ball, harder at the contest and showed cleaner ball handling skills to win the territory game and kick five unanswered goals in the first term.

From that moment the match became an even contest between the two teams who both wore special Indigenous Round guernseys but it was too late for the home team who paid he price for being jumped from the outset.

If the men’s match was decided with an early burst, it was a late flurry of goals that decided the victor of he women’s match.

After a relatively even first half, Grafton kicked the only goal of the third term through Emily Crispe to take a six point lead into three-quarter time.

Whatever coach Daniel Pritchard said to his Sawtell/Toormina players at the last break certainly did the trick as the Saints kicked into gear in the final term and kicked 3.4 to nil in the wet conditions to grab a 16 point win.

Elaine Thornycroft finished off the hard work of the midfield to end the match with three goals next to her name.

SENIOR MEN

GRAFTON TIGERS 5.1  6.3  7.6  9.6 (60)

SAWTELL/TOORMINA 0.0  1.4  2.6  4.8 (32)

Goals – Graf: B.Nelson, 2, G.Urhane 2, N.Swarski, T.Whalan, N.Wheaton, B.Noll, C.Curthoys. Saw: H.Anderson, R.Singleton, B.Jarvis, C.Martin.

SENIOR WOMEN

SAWTELL/TOORMINA 0.4  2.4  2.7  5.11 (41)  

GRAFTON TIGERS 0.1  3.1  4.1  4.1 (25)

Goals – Saw: E.Thornycroft 3, E.O’Dwyer, B.Minichilli. Graf: E.Crispe 2, R.Anderson.

RESERVES

GRAFTON TIGERS 3.4  7.6  9.8  9.9 (63)

SAWTELL/TOORMINA 0.0  0.4  2.4  4.4 (28)

Goals – Graf: L.Hayman 4, D.Perich 2, A.Vassalo, J.Deefholts, J.McFadyen. Saw: D.Pritchard 2, V.O’Connor, A.Pyke.