Berrigan hosted Rennie in round one of the Picola League, and as the sun shined down on a perfectly manicured Berrigan home ground it was time to get Saints football back in action.
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With a strong swirling wind, the first quarter was a bit of a slog for both sides as the Berrigan took some time to gel together but still walked in to quarter time with a 14-point lead.
After some refinements at the break by new coaches Nick Manley and Mitch Reilly the Saints put their foot on the gas and didn’t let off.
Lochie Conboy made his return to the Picola League well known as his six goal haul out of the midfield ripped apart Rennie’s game plan.
The crafty mid-forward was explosive from stoppage all game and made the most of his time up forward, kicking goals from everywhere.
Keith Tallent showed his class all game, working hard up the ground then punishing his opponent on the way back with three majors of his own.
Matt Whelan enjoyed his first game back after an injury interrupted 2024 and the tall winger’s run and carry was instrumental to breaking lines all over the field.
In the backline the Saints were able to keep Rennie to only a single goal all the way to three quarter time break where Grant Martin played a huge part for the Saints, sending any ball that came his way in back the opposite direction.
It was a great start to the season with many debuts in the red, white and black, with the club excited to see what they can build this season.
Final score: Berrigan 15.15 (105) def Rennie 4.7 (31).
Murray Cameron lands a heavy tackle on his Rennie opponent.
Reserves
After a long pre-season, it was a great sight to see a full squad all wanting to win for the club.
The wind was blowing a gale in the noon game and made the football scrappy as it was hard for either side to gain any sort of momentum.
The Saints, however, came into the half-time break in front, but Rennie were right on their tails.
In the second half, Rennie slowly started to get control and ended up handing the Saints a loss in their first game.
The game wasn’t without its heroes though, as father-son duo Noel and Charlie Baxter dominated in the midfield, both laying many tackles and gaining numerous clearances.
Troy Poynton was pivotal up forward as he provided a target and kicked two goals in a low scoring game.
Joining him on the goal list was Kyle Hawker and young Josh Monteath, who kicked a goal in his reserves’ debut.
Alex Park took many intercept marks at one end of the ground and won ruck hit outs at the other.
Final scores: Rennie 7.7 (49) def Berrigan 4.4 (28).
Fourths
The youngest Saints had a great start to the season with their new-look line up with nine first-time players and a new coach, Rob Ryan.
Berrigan superstar Jordan Swann played on-the-ball all day and snagged 12 goals, Tully Ryan booted two goals, with newcomer Jace Willemsen bagging two goals in his first ever game of footy.
Hudson Ware and Will Batten added to the tally with one apiece.
Jack Phillips was flawless in the ruck.
The Arnolds also made history with all three brothers taking to the field, a look the club hopes to see for many more games.
Rennie were great competitors, and the scoreboard did not truly reflect the toughness of the game.
Final scores: Berrigan 17.16 (118) def Rennie 1.1 (7).
Awards went to Jordan Swann, Jack Phillips, Nick Arnold, Ollie Batten, Tully Ryan and Jace Willemsen. These young Saints are ones to watch in 2025.
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