Sport

Tigers look to go one better in fresh campaign

By Matthew Kappos

Mar 30, 2026

Last season’s league best-in-finals Mitchell Trewhella will be key to Rochester’s hopes as it looks to go one better this year and claim the flag.

Football season is fast approaching and Rochester is preparing for another run at the Goulburn Valley League senior premiership.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Last year was another huge step forward for the Tigers, improving on a finals appearance in 2024 to surge all the way to the 2025 grand final, ending the dynasty of the three-time champion Echuca on the way to the decider against Kyabram.

The Bombers proved too strong for Rochy on that day 13.13 (91) to 8.14 (62), but Ash Watson’s men will be raring to go for another shot at the title in a fresh campaign.

The Tigers’ defence was the only backline to give up fewer than 1000 points in the regular season in 2025 and that defence is set to be boosted further with former Melbourne player Marty Hore headlining the club’s off-season recruitment.

Hore won’t be available until later in the season as he rehabs a knee complaint, but plenty of other new faces should bolster both ends of the park.

“Some young talents come in in (Ryley) Ferguson, in (Felix) Fogarty, in (Fletcher) White to see how they all go in this league of football,” Rochester president Justin Cleary said.

“White's been a good player in the Heathcote district league for a while and we expect them all to make the step up and be pretty good.”

Forward Mitch Cricelli remains on the injured list through the off-season after back surgery last year, but is hopeful of a return in the second half of the year.

Last season’s best-in-finals Mitch Trewhella continued his form through the summer season and will come into the new year in good form after recently lifting the Northern Territory Football League premiership with Nightcliff and claiming the club’s best-and-fairest.

Rochester’s off-season work will be trialled by fire in the season opener, travelling to the defending champion Bombers for a Good Friday clash.

This doesn’t get any easier over the following weeks, as the Tigers hold their home opener against Mansfield the following weekend and round out their tour of last year’s top four with a visit from Echuca on April 18.