Wildcats unleash four-quarter blitz against TTU
Woodside 36.21 237
TTU 5.1 31
Woodside Best Luke Johnson, Cameron Whiteoak, Ryan Foat, Matt Dyke, Ashton Janssen, Zac Richards
Woodside goals: Zac Richards 9 Adam Janssen 5, Hudson Holmes and Riley Denovan 4 each Thomas King, Rowan Missen, Ben Johnson , Daniel Missen, Michael Stockdale, Ashton Janssen, Matt Dyke, James Mattern 1 each
Game report
WOODSIDE delivered a ruthless four-quarter performance on Saturday, crushing Traralgon-Tyers United by 206 points
These two clubs had set the benchmark in the NGFNL over the past three seasons, including meeting in the last two grand finals, but this latest contest was a one-side affair.
Woodside Veteran Tom King in action against TTU
The day had an unusual feel from the outset, with TTU unable to field thirds side this season and forfeiting the reserves match late on Friday, leaving only the senior clash to be played.
Once the ball was bounced, Woodside took complete control.
The Wildcats slammed on eight goals to one in the opening quarter before backing it up with another eight goals to two in the second term. Woodside then produced a devastating third quarter, piling on 11 unanswered goals, before adding another nine majors to two in the final term.
The return of Luke Johnston provided a major boost for the home side, his skills both in the air and at ground level, frustrating his opponents.
Woodside Wildcats shrug off their TTU opponents
The Wildcats also showcased impressive scoring depth, finishing with 12 individual goal kickers as players lined up to join the party. Defender Mick Stockdale even drifted forward late in the second quarter to snap a clever goal from a pack, much to the delight of teammates.
Zac Richards was relatively quiet early but exploded after halftime, and finishing with a game high nine goals.
Woodside Senior coach Hudson Holmes admitted the lead-up to the game felt strange without the usual curtain-raisers.
James Mattern gets his kick away despite the desperate tacklie of his TTU opponent.
“It was a strange day to be honest,” Holmes said.
Despite the lopsided scoreboard, Holmes said the focus remained on maintaining standards and building consistency.
“We set goals for each half and assessed whether we achieved them at the break. It was our first full four-quarter performance, which is what we asked of each other.”
With a crucial clash against Rosedale Football Netball Club looming this weekend, Holmes said the Wildcats were determined to keep improving.
“We have a tough opponent in Rosedale this weekend, so our system and style of play needed to match that,” he said.
“We don’t judge ourselves on those big wins, we just keep building week in, week out. Getting more players back keeps us moving forward.
“There’s still a lot we need to improve on. We played poorly in round two, so we need to keep improving from that.”
