Goulburn Valley Giants finished the Victorian Country Masters season in style with an eight-goal victory at home against Gippsland Tigers, 9.18 (72) to 3.6 (24).
Wearing black armbands in memory of much-loved former GV Giants player Warrick Burgmann, who died recently, the Giants were wayward in the first quarter.
The locals led 1.6 to 1.3 at quarter-time, with Troy Watts the only GV player to kick truly after running forward from the wing.
A lengthy trip on Saturday did not quell the enthusiasm of the Traralgon-based Tigers, who fielded a competitive and quick group of tall midfielders led by Colin Mackrell.
The Giants entertained the Kialla Park crowd by peppering the goals in the second term.
Les Cohen was active at ground level, with two lively snaps for goal in the first two minutes.
It was a pepper spray thereafter, as the locals kicked eight straight behinds to enter the half-time break 22 points up, 3.14 to 1.4.
Down back, it was the first game of football together for the Estrada brothers, with Ray making a robust and vocal Giants debut alongside his brother Freddy.
Mick Emanuelli and Kev Singh also provided defensive poise, while Steve Neff repelled multiple Gippsland forays in the first quarter, before impressing as a substitute for the undermanned Tigers in the second and third terms.
The play-of-the-day was a one-handed grab by Giants midfielder Ian Maiden.
With a clearing kick nearly over his head in the centre square, Maiden stuck his left mitt out to the side to cup the football with the ease of a baseballer playing catch, before hitting the ground running.
The dazzling evasive skills and pace of Maiden were matched by Tyler Stevens, playing out of his usual position at centre half-back and running forward in another eye-catching performance.
No-one was faster than Garth Thomas though.
Thomas was back for his second Giants game for the season and sprinted away from his opponents to pump the ball forward throughout the day.
Big man Steve Skinner proved to be a defensive wall and linkman as the second ruckman, changing with David Davis in the second half and linking with outside runners including Jamie Grahame and Craig Wheaton.
On a day of missed goal opportunities, Steve Tate kicked his 20th major for the season in the third quarter, before Cohen bobbed up with a game-high third goal.
The experimental forward line of Adrian Lakeman, Peter Seddon and Duane Farrant all goaled in the final term, along with James Longley, who notched his 12th of the season.
Several attempts to set-up specialist forward pocket Rob Hearn proved fruitless.
Andrew Bock, Kevin Singh and Dan Hatton provided options at both ends of the ground, changing off the bench with Davis, Hearn and Tim Keenan.
Longley’s trademark white headband was also sported by several other Giants for the final game of his rookie coaching season.
Longley, Tate, Farrant, Grahame and Wheaton were the only ones of 37 Giants to play all 10 games in 2022.
Several Giants backed-up for the second game of the day between Samaria Suns of Benalla and Kerang-Swan Hill Rams.
The Suns were clear leaders all day, winning 14.11 (95) to 4.2 (26).
Victorian Country Masters football is purely footy for fun with no league ladder or finals series.
After a winning season of seven wins and three losses, Giants players and supporters look forward to the club’s presentation night on September 16.
Leading goal-kicker Steven Tate is a warm favourite for the over-35 Most Valuable Player award.
He faces stiff competition for votes from a talented midfield cohort of Longley, Stevens, Maiden, Farrant and Watts.
In the over-45 MVP, Dan Cullen and Les Cohen, the former AFL North Coast premiership teammates are the leading contenders.
Bob Boyer, Tony Morris, David Tate, Cam McGregor and Mick Emanuelli are expected to poll well in their fewer appearances.
― Rob Macdonald