Eight goals to one in a dominant final term guided Collingullie-Wagga to a comfortable 56-point win over Coolamon at Kindra Park.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the game on the line at three-quarter-time, it was the Demons who ran the game out strongest as they piled on the goals to run out 16.17 (113) to 8.9 (57).
Key forward Nate Mooney played a huge role in their final term dominance kicking three goals while he finished the game with six.
Although they eventually ran out comfortable victors, Demons co-coach Shane Lenon agreed his side definitely had a fight on their hands for the first three quarters.
"Yeah Coolamon applied good pressure and obviously turned up to play," Lenon said.
"We got four-and-a-half goals up in the third quarter and we made a few bad blues with the footy, just bad decisions and we let them off the hook and back into the game.
"But credit to the boys as they responded in the last quarter and the game was still there to be won at three-quarter-time.
"We need to be better than that, halfway through the third quarter we had the game on our terms and because of a few things we did we gave momentum back to the opposition.
"That's something we can control, we can't control what the opposition do we can only control what we do.
"But credit to the boys as they ran the game out really strong and I thought our last quarter was really positive."
The Hoppers started the game strongly and entered the quarter-time break up by 13 points, however the Demons then responded in the second term.
Back-to-back goals to Sam Stening and further majors to Sam Macklan and Mooney in the second swung the momentum in their favour.
The Demons then had the first two of the second half through Mooney and Ed Perryman to open up a 23-point lead, however the Hoppers then kicked the next three to bring the margin back to just four points.
A free kick paid just before the three-quarter-time siren to Mooney was successfully slotted which handed the Demons a 10-point lead heading into the final term.
They would then run riot in the last as the Hoppers ran out of legs after being short a couple of rotations for the majority of the game.
Lenon dismissed claims of a slow start for his side and instead believed the lack of scoring in the opening term was the result of a fierce contest.
"That was the scoring end, I don't think it was a slow start," he said.
"You're not going to lead at quarter-time every week and we were only a goal down or something like that.
"I don't think it was a slow start, I think it was just a high pressure game of football and that's what you'll find with footy sometimes it will open up as the game progresses.
"A lot of games in the first quarter there's not a lot of goals kicked, it's just high pressure and I think that's what today was.
"Credit to Coolamon, they turned up to play for sure but it was pleasing how we responded in the last quarter."
Mooney kicked five second-half goals and continued his dominant start to the season while David Johnson, Stening, Harry Wichman and Brad McMillan all finished with two apiece.
Lenon said the key forward has slotted in nicely and quickly found his feet at the Demons after transitioning back to Australian Rules from rugby union.
"As a young bloke he always had ability," he said.
"He's fitted into the club really well and he's had a massive pre-season, he's a talented player and he's certainly loving his time at the club.
"He's fitted in really well and he's playing good footy."
Wichman kicked a couple of late goals to top off what was a superb performance from the midfielder against the Hoppers.
Lenon agreed Wichman had a terrific game.
"He was our best I reckon," he said.
"He had a great game, he was good when he was on-ball and he was dangerous forward.
"He had a top game and I thought Brad McMillan's game was really good as well.
"Flacky (Kane Flack) had a good game, he's tough and his second half was outstanding and he was the one that got us going in that last quarter.
"But it was a good team effort, we've got blokes playing roles and footy is a team game.
"It's about playing team footy, but we certainly had some really outstanding contributors."
Full Time
Collingullie Wagga 1.1 5.8 8.11 16.17 (113)
Coolamon 3.2 4.4 7.7 8.9 (57)
GOALS: Collingullie Wagga: N.Mooney 6, H.Wichman 2, S.Stening 2, D.Johnson 2, B McMillan 2, S.Macklan 1, E.Perryman 1 ; Coolamon: N.Buchanan 4, O.Perrot 2, L.Bell 1, A.Macauley 1
BEST: Collingullie Wagga: H.Wichman, B.McMillan, N.Mooney, K.Flack, J.Perryman, J.Klemke; Coolamon: A.Clarke, N.Buchanan, K.Woods, O.Perrot, J.Buttifant, F.Cook
