THE Hume league took its first step towards redemption with a convincing 70-point win over Picola North-West at Tocumwal on Saturday.
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After an even first quarter, Josh Walker’s charges buried the opposition with an eight-goal second-term avalanche on their way to a 21.15 (141) to 11.5 (71) romp.
The dominant win helped erase the memory of last year’s embarrassment when a second-rate outfit received a humiliating 97-point drubbing at the hands of the Tallangatta and District league in one of its darkest representative days.
Walker said it had been important to win back some respect on Saturday after that humiliation.
“The message in the lead-up was about restoring some pride and we achieved that,” Walker said.
“They boys played like they wanted to earn back some respect.
“They dug deep all day and even when we knew we had the game won at the final break, they maintained the intensity to finish the game off.
“Just showing they cared a fair bit was a real positive.”
Hume dominated the battle of the midfields with captain Brett Doswell sublime on his way to winning the medal for best on ground. He capped a polished display with three goals.
Alex Jones, Sam Rutland and Adam Eady also played key roles as the midfield machine dominated.
And Murray Magpies forward Jesse Johnston capped the good work further afield with seven goals.
Walker said Doswell had seemed to gather possessions at will.
“Dossie loves the big stage and, although we didn’t keep stats, he would have had 45-plus touches,” he said. “We gave him the captain’s role and he led by example.
“It was a good learning curve for some of the younger guys because he shared the ball around and got them involved as well.”
Hume escaped unscathed on the injury front.
Next year’s opponent and venue is still to be determined.