But when it did it was vintage stuff from the defending premier who turned a six-point lead at the main break into a 92-point thrashing of the shell-shocked Saints.

The Tigers kicked 17 goals to three after half-time to remind anyone who may have forgotten in the Ovens and Murray that they are still well and truly the team to beat.

All the big guns came out to play in the second half, plus a kid from Dederang-Mount Beauty.

Elliott Powell carried his strong pre-season form into the season opener, kicking three goals, and feasted off the hard-ball gets of Joel Mackie and Brayden O’Hara.

It was easy to see why the speedy Powell was targeted by several Ovens and Murray clubs before he settled on the Tigers.

Albury co-coach Daniel Maher conceded it was a match of contrasts.

“We got shown up for intensity early and full credit to Myrtleford because they are a young side on the way up and put us under a lot of pressure,” Maher said.

“Thankfully we started to win some footy after that and ran the game out fairly well.

“It was a pretty good hit-out.

“We did some things well and need to work on other things.”

Myrtleford could hardly have been more impressive early with Mitch Hough, Brad Murray, Kristan Height, Willie Thorne and Luke Quirk showing why the Saints have been talked up over the off-season.

They went goal for goal with Albury until half-time with only inaccurate kicking costing them the lead.

But then it went horribly wrong.

Mackie and company were allowed to stroll out of the midfield and that meant trouble for the Myrtleford defence with Setanta and Aisake o’hAilpin and Angus Graham lurking inside 50 metres.

Setanta led the goal- kicking with six majors despite some good defensive work from Luke Chapman while Graham became more and more of a problem with his height as the match progressed.