Albury’s Doug Strang medallist Josh Mellington has kicked 10 goals to spearhead an 81-point thumping of an understrength Lavington.
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The match was over at quarter-time as the Tigers blasted away to record a 22.9 (141) to 8.12 (60) win in the grand final re-match.
Mellington kicked eight in the second half.
“There was plenty of space up there and he was just really good when the ball hit the ground,” co-coach Joel Mackie said.
The match went largely as expected, given the Panthers were missing nine players.
However, the Tigers also had four late changes.
“Daniel Cross was stuck in Melbourne, Sam Schulz pulled out late, Ollie McEwan didn’t come up and Luke Daly was crook,” Mackie said.
“Zach Bye played his first game from our juniors.
“He’s a tall, key forward type ruckman.”
Bye kicked a goal on debut, while top five goalkicker in the league, Erish Uthayakumar, also played after he was named as an emergency.
The Tigers banged on six goals to no score in the early stages, eventually carrying a match-winning 38-point break to quarter-time.
“But Lavington hit back on the scoreboard in the second and early third quarter, so to be able to go again and have that relentless run, good pressure and workrate was great,” Mackie said.
The match also signalled a successful return for Brayden O’Hara, who kicked four goals.
It’s been a frustrating first half of the season for the premiership player, who had injured his calf four times by round five.
He was among the best, along with Mellington and defenders Billy Robertson and Simon Thomas.
Jack Nunn continues to build his reputation in the league, claiming the Panthers’ best with three goals.
Lavington will be desperate to have a host of players return, with coach James Saker a certainty after serving a two-match suspension.
And he’ll be needed too as the Panthers round out the midpoint of the season with Yarrawonga.
The Panthers have dropped to fourth and will start favourite to fall another spot, given fifth-placed Wodonga has the battling North Albury.