Myrtleford’s Tim Looby produced one of his best games as the club kick-started a new era, as well as the season, with its first win over Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday night.
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Co-coach Looby was outstanding in the 15.11 (101) to 10.10 (70) victory in the Saints’ first game under lights in front of a bumper crowd pushing 1000.
“We wanted to create a bit of history and win the first night game here,” Looby said.
“It’s massive for Myrtleford to be able to attract a game like this and get the community involved.”
Looby was once rated in the best 10 players in Victorian country, but has battled a handful of niggling injuries since arriving last year with a bumper reputation from the Goulburn Valley.
We wanted to create a bit of history and win the first night game here. It’s massive for Myrtleford to be able to attract a game like this and get the community involved.
- Tim Looby
“I’ve been a little bit frustrated in getting my body right, at the output I’ve always wanted,” he said.
And while Looby was superb, landing a 50-metre goal in the third quarter, co-captain Matt Dussin was the star.
He kicked an inspirational goal early in the second, barnstorming through the youthful Rovers, and racking up disposals.
If a poll of the best players was now taken, Dussin would have to be in there, given his impact on games.
The Saints grabbed what proved a match-winning lead in the first quarter.
Lachie Dale dominated with three goals, while Looby and Dussin also led the charge.
Dale kicked his fourth late in the game as the Saints continued to hold the Hawks at bay.
The win has lifted the Saints from the bottom after three straight losses and now leaves Rovers as the only winless team after the first month.
It doesn’t get any easier either, facing last year’s finalists over the next five weeks with Wodonga the next winnable game in mid-June.
“There’s a couple of things that were pretty disappointing,” co-coach Sam Carpenter said.
“One of them being our ball use, I thought we murdered the footy and, unfortunately, you work so hard to get the ball, when you consistently give it back to the opposition it just hurts you.
“And I thought, particularly early in the game, we wanted to work hard offensively, but we had too many players that weren’t prepared to work defensively.
“We’ve got a really young group, but that’s no excuse.”
The one positive was the form of exciting forward Eli Holland-Dean.
He kicked half the team’s goals with five, including two in the final term.
Holland-Dean had kicked five in the first three games, so it was his breakout performance.
Myrtleford also has a brutal run over the next month against four of last year’s finalists, starting with a home game against ladder leaders Albury on Saturday week.
