One had to wonder if Waaia was going to look like its usual infallible self after a shock Picola District Football League loss to Katamatite last weekend.
The two-time defending premier had its work cut out in Saturday’s round five outing, meeting a 2023 preliminary finalist in Tungamah, which would be ready to take advantage of any similar slip-ups.
It quite nearly could have done just that, too.
Waaia looked wasteful in the early going, entering the main break with 6.10 on the board and a 30-point lead that could have been plenty more.
The Bears would find their rhythm, adding five majors in the third term to trim down the margin and surely provoking more than a hint of angst among the host.
The Bombers’ embarrassment would not extend to a second consecutive week, though, as the league’s benchmark side dropped the hammer in a spellbinding seven-goal final term to run out a handy winner, 17.12 (114) to 9.9 (63).
Charlie Burrows was usually front and centre throughout the triumph, claiming most all that came his way with six goals, while Connor Brown found plenty of his own with a haul of four.
Wally Thomson (three goals) and James Irvine (two) stood up for an outclassed Tungamah side.
Bombers coach Mitch Cleeland felt much better about his side’s trajectory after this rebound victory.
“It was nice just to get back on the winners’ list,” Cleeland said.
“We probably had that loss coming as we’ve just been getting by. We hadn’t played how we wanted to and I think that showed against Katamatite.
“We wanted to fix a few things during the week and that came through at the weekend.
“I think Tungamah had a fair few out, as did we, but any early win in the season is good.
“If that gives the group some confidence, that’s all we can ask for and hopefully we can get back to our best footy.”
Of course, a 51-point final margin is pleasant to look at, but the middle portion of Saturday’s affair was fraught with danger.
With memories of a week earlier fresh in mind, the reality was not lost on Cleeland’s charges.
“You’d be silly to neglect that the game was closing up,” Cleeland said.
“They had a sniff of it at half-time and completely outplayed us in the third quarter, so we were in nearly the same position as last week, but we went the other way this time.”
Top spot belongs to 2023 challenger Strathmerton for at least another week following a total mismatch where Tim Looby made off with 11 goals in a 21.10 (136) to 2.1 (13) demolition of Rennie.
Katamatite kept the pace with Waaia at three wins following a 98-point belting of Blighty, as did Katandra with a 111-point trouncing at the expense of Tocumwal.
Deniliquin Rovers suffered their first setback of the season after falling 14 points short against a Jerilderie side that claimed its second win, while Picola United put up monster numbers in moving to 2-2 with a gigantic 33.20 (218) to 1.3 (9) win over Yarroweyah.
Also moving to a two-win record was Katunga, which inflicted Berrigan’s first defeat of the year to the tune of 47 points.
On the courts, Deniliquin Rovers look arguably harder than ever to stop in the A-grade competition.
Jerilderie contested the defending premiers harder than anyone else to this stage in the season, but simply could not hang around long enough in an eventual 58-33 win for the Rovers.
That said, there are still two unbeaten sides left besides the Rovers after Strathmerton stayed perfect with a straightforward 40-25 win over Rennie, while Katamatite maintained the pace in a high-scoring 70-40 triumph over Blighty.
Trailing eagerly behind at 3-1 are Katandra and Katunga, who moved to 12 points with respective victories over Tocumwal and Berrigan.
In an A-grade campaign starting to look more polarised on paper, Waaia and Picola United became the only two sides at 2-2 in contrasting manners.
Waaia only just overcame the challenge of Tungamah to prevail 36-32, while Picola United heaped more misery on bottom side Yarroweyah in a 75-15 thumping.