Coburg holds off Frankston
coburgtigers.com.au
On a beautiful autumn day at ABD Group Stadium, a new look Coburg side eventually defeated a defiant Frankston by 15 points. Coburg lead at every change, however poor kicking in the second quarter meant that the Tigers were not able to seal the game early on.
Frankston, who this year are sporting a new coach in ex-North Melbourne player Shannon Grant, were a much more aggressive package than last year and from the first bounce to the last bounce, targeted the bodies of the Coburg playing list.
In a scare for all Richmond, Coburg and football fans alike, Graham Polak was knocked out after being slung late in a tackle. The courageous defender remained motionless on the ground for a few minutes, before getting to his feet with the assistance of doctor and trainers. The plucky Polak, who is still recovering from a serious accident last year, remained on the bench for the rest of the first quarter, however, returned in the second and played out the remainder of the match.
Jordan McMahon was easily the Tigers best player for the game, superbly playing off the back line shutting down several inside 50 attempts made by the Dolphins. Richmond Tigers rookie and ex-Port Melbourne player Robin Nahas was electrifying at times and bobbed-up and kicked five sneaky goals. Andrew Collins also chipped-in with four goals for the game, with both players certainly placing pressure on Richmond selectors. Ex-Hawthorn and new assistant coach Tim Clarke made a solid start to his new career at Coburg, while improved Tiger Glen Carrick also earned his keep throughout the day.
Frankston was probably never good enough to win on the day, however, had their errant kicking been more on target the result may have been very different. Standout players for Frankston were Aaron Murray, who booted four goals and worked tirelessly all day. Justin Berry was fantastic through the middle and Mark Baguley also made solid contributions throughout the four quarters.
A tough start to the coaching career of Shannon Grant but for Tigers fans a reassurance that the clean-out that occurred over summer may just bear fruits come this September.
Coburg Tigers 7.2 9.6 14.8 18.11 (119)
Frankston 3.3 7.7 11.7 16.8 (104)
GOALS:
Coburg Tigers: Nahas 5 Collins 4 Liddle 2 Connors 2 Clarke Coughlan Allan Polak Carrick
Frankston: Murray 4 Baguley 2 Dore 2 Purves 2 Dickson 2 Marigliani Magner Berry Keely
BEST:
Coburg Tigers: McMahon Horne Clarke Carrick Liddle Collins
Frankston: Berry Baguley Murray Dore Ongarello Dickson
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