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.