Under-12 Girls
Rochester’s Under-12 girls made the trip back to Bendigo on Friday night, taking on second‑ placed St Francis Green at Harry Trott Oval.
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With the Tigers sitting on top of the ladder and missing two of their strongest players, the girls knew they were walking into a genuine test, and they embraced it with courage, teamwork and determination.
Pre‑ game, coach Trent Riordan reminded the team to have each other’s backs, keep the talk up and trust the skills they’ve been practising at training.
The vibe was strong, the energy was high, and the Tigers were switched on from the opening bounce.
Despite the scoreboard pressure, St Francis Green leading 6.7 (43) to 0 by half‑ time, Riordan couldn’ t have been prouder.
The girls stuck to their structures, applied pressure at every contest and showed they were listening to every instruction.
“Fantastic pressure girls. Keep tackling hard and keep the talk up,” he encouraged at the main break.
Matilda Williams was a rock in defence all night.
Her kick‑outs were clean, composed and consistently put Rochester back into attack. Her work rate and foot skills were brilliant.
Ava Rasmussen was dominant again with her speed, tackling and relentless pressure.
She refused to let St Francis Green break away easily.
While Annemarie Smith was tenacious, tough and fearless, throwing herself into every contest showing pure grit.
Mackenzie Harvey continued to be confident and classy, bursting from packs and showing off her natural speed, while Billie Watson was strong in the backline, always one kick away and ready to shut down the next attack.
The Tigers never stopped trying, never dropped their heads, and never backed away from the contest.
While the final score didn’t reflect their effort, the performance was full of heart.
After the siren, Riordan gathered the group and delivered an important message.
“You girls were brilliant. Don’t worry about the score. What’s more important is how you came together as a team,” he said.
“Not once did you give up. Every single person kept battling, tackling and talking.”
This young Rochester side continues to show resilience, growth and genuine love for the game.
They should hold their heads high — their teamwork, spirit and sportsmanship are building something special.
Rochester 0 lost to St Francis Green 11.16 82
Mundie Constructions Award: Billie Watson.
Rochester Sports Museum Award: Matilda Williams.
The Café Rochester Award: Annemarie Smith.
Under-12 Mixed
Sunday’s home clash between the Rochester Tigers and Moama Magpies White provided a tough test for the Tigers against a well-drilled opposition.
Moama came out firing from the opening bounce, kicking four first-quarter goals and showcasing some silky ball movement that allowed them to build momentum early.
The Magpies continued to find space and move the ball efficiently throughout the game, eventually recording a 65-point victory.
Despite the scoreboard, the Tigers never dropped their heads and continued to compete hard right until the final siren. Rochester’s tackle pressure was a highlight throughout the day, with Caden Sceney and Will Frawley leading the way with several strong efforts that kept their teammates engaged in the contest.
Carter Lee worked tirelessly through the midfield, providing plenty of drive for the Tigers, while Alex Robertson was rewarded for his efforts with Rochester’s lone major of the day.
While the result wasn’t what the Tigers were after, there were plenty of positives to take from the match, particularly the boys’ determination, pressure and willingness to support each other around the ground.
Rochester 1.5 11 lost to Moama Magpies 10.16 76
Luke Ryan Real Estate Award: Caden Sceney.
St Joseph’s Primary School Award: Will Frawley.
Canteen awards: Cooper Fynch and Carter Lee.
Under-14 Mixed
The Tigers headed to Marist College Maiden Gully where the wind was very chilly on the top oval on Sunday morning.
Maiden Gully YCW got a major on the board within the first couple of minutes, and Rochy once again knew it was going to be a hard day at the office.
However, recent learnings from some tough games kicked in, and the Tigers lifted.
Pressure around the ball was fantastic, particularly at the defensive end.
Effort was brilliant all over the ground and the Eagles were unable to kick another major until the last minute of the quarter.
Although Rochy were scoreless, they had kept MGYCW to just 14 points.
George McFadzean started the second with a quick goal and the Tigers looked like they might be on; however, the Eagles returned fire just as quickly.
From there on in, Maiden Gully got their hands to the ball first and were winning at the stoppages.
The Tigers’ defensive presence had slackened, and the Eagles capitalised, kicking six goals and going to the break with a 47-point lead.
At the start of the third term, Rochy looked like it had started to switch back on.
The Tigers tried hard to get themselves back in the game with some strong tackling from Walt James and great pressure from Max Seabrook, along with Jack Martin and Archie Watson performing well in the last line of defence.
Harrison Wilkins kicked an impressive major late in the quarter, but once again the Eagles were doing all the damage in their forward fifty, piling on another six goals.
In the last quarter of the game, the Tigers had left their run too late.
Although they started to look like the team they were in the first term, it wasn’t enough.
Maddox Parker really hit his straps in the final quarter, finding more of the footy and topping it off with a great goal in the dying minutes of the game.
Although the margin blew out in the end, The Tigers kept their heads up throughout the entire game and copped the loss on the chin, showing resilience in defeat.
The Tigers get a week off next week, giving the group time to reflect and regroup, in order to come out swinging in Round 7.
Rochester 3.1 19 lost to MGYCW 16.14 110
Best players: Harrison Wilkins, Seth Hunter, Maddox Parker, Cooper Rasmussen, Archie Watson, Walt James.
Goal kickers: G. McFadzean, Ha. Wilkins, M. Parker.
Mayreef Pty Ltd Award: Harrison Wilkins.
Glenavon Farms Award: Maddox Parker.
Canteen Awards: Jack Martin and Max Seabrook.
Under-15 Girls
The Rochester Under-15 Girls made an early trip to Strathfieldsaye on Sunday to take on the Storm in Round 6 action.
Strathfieldsaye opened the scoring with the first two majors of the game in the first quarter.
The Rochester girls kept the pressure on right from the beginning, keeping the first term low scoring.
Despite showing plenty of determination and grit throughout the second term, Rochester was unable to fully capitalise on the scoreboard and went into the halftime break trailing by 18 points.
The third quarter continued to highlight the team’s strong sportsmanship and commitment, Alida Beer kicking the team’s first and only goal for the match.
Rochester maintained pressure right through to the final siren, but unfortunately fell short against a strong Strathfieldsaye outfit.
Rochester 1.3 9 lost to Strathfieldsaye 6.6 42
Best Players: Zahli Young, Kaylee Saunders, Sophie Kyne, Aliza Beer, Alida Beer, Zoe Squires
Goal kickers: Alida Beer.
Mawsons Concrete and Quarries Award: Zoe Squires.
Darling Irrigation Award: Sophie Kyne.
Iddles Lane Emporium Award: Aliza Beer.