Swans supporters turned up in numbers after the Lions players insisted Saturday's senior game should go ahead despite being further decimated in the week.

There were donations left at the gate and Wahgunyah president Darryl Hore was blown away by the response.

"A lot of people came up saying 'we've been there before, keep fighting, we can't afford to lose Wahgunyah out of the comp,' and the messages of support was fantastic," Hore said.

"Chiltern's coach came into our rooms after the game, thanked the boys and told them to keep their heads up.

"That was a great gesture.

"The scenes on the ground afterwards, it wasn't just handshakes, there were hugs and it was brilliant to see.

"To watch the two playing groups get together like that was heart-warming."

Chiltern won the game by 317 points with Ethan Boxall kicking 20 goals but the scoreboard only told part of the story.

"Our local Men's Shed do the gate for us and they said Chiltern people were paying the entry fee and then handing another $20 over, saying they wanted to help out," Hore said.

"It was absolutely brilliant and we couldn't be happier.

"Of course, the scoreline is what we expected and the guys were happy there wasn't another record set.

"Even their player group, there was no bullshit about it, they weren't smart-arses, they were picking each other up off the ground and it was great to see.

"What we're seeing within the Tallangatta league is clubs rallying around other clubs.

"I was on the TDFL executive for the last three years and I see the work those guys put in to keep the league running.

"With clubs like Chiltern, and Rutherglen were the same last week, the TDFL can be strong again.

"They're saying 'we can't let one of our clubs fall over' and it's brilliant."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: