Wildcats honour Indigenous Round in style

Woodside and Yarram players participating in the smoking ceremony prior to the first bounce

Woodside Wildcats delivered another ominous statement on Saturday, overpowering Yarram Demons to reinforce their status as the team to beat as they chase a third straight premiership.

The win was made even more significant by the return of premiership players Cooper Ryan and Brody Stainer for their first senior appearances of the season, giving the reigning back-to-back premiers yet another boost.

Yarram made Woodside work for it early, matching the Wildcats at the stoppages in a competitive opening term. Daniel Vardy was influential and the Demons’ pressure briefly checked Woodside’s outside run before the premiers found their rhythm.

Demons coach Brett Mitchell said there was enough in that opening quarter to encourage his side despite the eventual margin.

“Our pressure was really good early and it stopped Woodside getting its outside run, which was pleasing,” Mitchell said.

Woodside coach Hudson Holmes admitted his side was below its usual standard early, but once the Wildcats adjusted, the contest swung sharply in their favour.

“We were a little off early, but once we adjusted and played our style, we knew the game would open up,” Holmes said.

Once Woodside settled, the reigning premiers took complete control. The Wildcats slammed on nine goals in both the second and third quarters, turning a competitive derby into a one-sided display built on relentless running, clean ball movement and punishing efficiency going forward.

Stainer made an immediate impact on return, presenting as a constant target inside 50 and finishing with six goals in a standout performance. Luke Johnson added three majors, while Holmes and Morgan chipped in with two each as Woodside’s forward line capitalised on the midfield’s ascendancy.

Yarram’s better moments came through Vardy, who kicked three goals, while Hunter added two and Collins battled hard in a demanding role after combining coaching duties in the reserves before backing up at senior level.

Mitchell said the game shifted decisively once injuries began to bite, opening the door for Woodside to fully exploit its depth and running power.

“Some key injuries in the first quarter to our captain Matt Claverino meant our onball rotations were restricted and when fatigue set in Woodside’s running game got going and we found this difficult to suppress,” he said.

Even with Woodside’s scoreboard pressure mounting, Yarram showed some character late, booting five final-quarter goals in a finish Mitchell said could give his side something to build on.

“It’s a positive to finish strongly going into TTU next week so there are some aspects we can take from the last quarter,” he said.

Mitchell said the Demons’ effort remained intact throughout, even as Woodside’s pressure and work rate exposed lapses in execution.

“As demonstrated in the last quarter, the players’ effort was there but our skill level and decision making let us down, largely due to fatigue,” Mitchell said.

He also pointed to the disruption caused by Yarram’s outs and in-game setbacks.

“The main message was we had six players unavailable from the win against Glengarry and sustained three other injuries during the Woodside game,” he said. “At times we demonstrated we could be competitive against the top sides. Our effort was there and that’s all I ever ask of the playing group.”

For Woodside, Holmes praised the development of younger players including Earles and Mattern, saying their continued growth was another encouraging sign for a side already setting a formidable standard.

The result came on a significant day for the Wildcats, with Saturday’s derby also marking NGFNL Indigenous Round — an occasion that carries strong meaning for the club through its connection with Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place.

“We love our Indigenous boys, Shaun Braybrook and the club have a great thing going,” Holmes said. “We took great pride in wearing the Indigenous jumper and embracing what Shaun has built. It brings the club and community together.”

With another commanding win banked, Woodside will head into next week’s clash with Churchill full of confidence as it continues building toward the business end of the season before the bye. Yarram, meanwhile, will turn its attention to TTU as it looks to respond and regain momentum despite a growing injury list.

Vardy and Missen do battle in the ruck

Reserves

WOODSIDE Reserves set up their big 244 point win over Yarram with an 11 goal first quarter which broke the hearts of the opposition players

Woodside have been bolstered by the inclusion of Matty Sailor, who joined the club around four weeks ago and has been amongst their best each week he has played.

With the game being played in Woodsides forward 50, the Woodside forwards put on a show. The main goal kickers  Blake Reed kicking a career high 14 goals,  Chris Witchell 5  and Chris Whiteoak 4.

While it was a big win for the Wildcats, they will not be getting ahead as they prepare for Churchill next week and hopefully continue their climb up the ladder.

Thirds

WOODSIDE got their first win of the season, defeating Yarram by 65 points.

James Mattern and Taj Albert were the major goal scorers for Woodside kicking three goals each.

Kayde Munn kicked Yarrams only goal.