MFL | Cobram produces four-quarter masterpiece to demolish Numurkah

By Zac Standish

May 16, 2022

Kicking time: Cobram’s Cadeyn Williams in action (Photo by Leonie Bourke). Photo by Leonie Bourke

There is only one word you could use to describe Cobram’s form after the first seven weeks of the Murray League season.

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Scary.

Coming up against a Numurkah side fresh off handing Deniliquin Rams its first lost of the year, the Tigers put the in-form Blues to the sword, keeping them scoreless for the first three quarters on their way to a 26.14 (170) to 2.3 (15) victory.

A team playing with complete confidence, Cobram had winners all over the ground, allowing key forwards Ben Ryan (seven goals), Darcy Pridham-McCormack (six goals) and Adam De Cicco (five goals) the chance to feast in front of the sticks.

Now heading into the bye with a perfect 7-0 record and an imposing percentage of 450.00, Tigers coach John Brunskill said he was incredibly proud of his team’s efforts on the day.

“It was probably the best we had played all year which was the most pleasing aspect of it for me,” Brunskill said.

Evasive action: Cobram’s Tyron Baden shrugs off a tackle as teammate Matt De Maio watches on (Photo by Leonie Bourke). Photo by Leonie Bourke

“We just put on a complete four-quarter performance, the whole day we stuck to our structures and stuck to our game plan, which made it really tough for them to score.

“As a coach it was very pleasing to see the guys put in a performance like they did yesterday.”

Greeted with gloomy conditions at Scott Oval, the Tigers didn’t let the damp weather impact their attacking flow, piling on six unanswered goals in the first term to have the game all but won at quarter time.

But Brunskill’s men weren’t satisfied with just beating Numurkah.

They came out in the second term with the same energy to pile on another six goals to carry an 81-point advantage into half time.

Eyes up: Cobram’s Cadeyn Williams looks for a team mate (Photo by Leonie Bourke). Photo by Leonie Bourke

With another healthy percentage boost on its mind, Cobram was once again resolute in defence in the third stanza, not coughing up any score, while adding another four majors to increase the margin out to triple figures.

While many sides would have been forgiven for putting the cue in the rack at three-quarter time, the Tigers showed their ruthless edge in the last, piling on another 10 goals to push the lead out to 155 points by the final siren.

Brunskill said the result showed a team brimming with confidence and enjoying playing with one another.

“The thing that really stands out to me is just the fact that our structures are really standing up at the moment,” he said.

Under pressure: Cobram’s Harry Beasley looks to beat his opponent (Photo by Leonie Bourke). Photo by Leonie Bourke

“Ninety-five per cent of our team at the moment are locals who have come up through the club together, so I think that breeds a lot of belief and confidence in one another, knowing they have played a lot of footy together.

“They are all such close mates, so my job is pretty easy at the moment as the guys are willing to put in the hard work and play for one another.”

In terms of individual standouts on the day, he said he could have almost named the entire 22, as everybody played their part.

“Benny Ryan kicking seven goals was fantastic, I reckon his lead-up work was excellent all day, and then we had Adam and Darcy also kicking big bags as well,” he said.

“Our midfield really stood up as well, you could probably name 15-16 players and couldn’t go too far wrong, it was just one of those days.”