An after-the-siren miss has gifted Merrigum an opening-round win in its bid to return to the Kyabram district league finals after being knocked out in the final round of last year.
New coach Jaydon Stiles was the difference between the Bulldogs and their round-one opponent, Violet Town, which went into the game minus its renowned two-prong attack of Jack Exell and Josh Mellington.
Merrigum’s two-point win came as, apart from captain Zac Parkinson, vice-captain Darcy Collins and Leigh Cuthbert, there were no regular senior players from last season’s team
Mellington and Excell kicked 202 goals between them in the Kyabram district league last season, Exell also crowned McNamara Medallist as the league’s best player. They are both playing elsewhere this season.
Exell kicked three goals for Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo league and Mellington has kicked six goals in his two matches for Benalla in the Goulburn Valley League.
Merrigum was replaced inside the final eight (which this year returns to a final six) by Girgarre in the last round before finals last season, the Kangaroos winning its final-round match with Longwood to secure eighth position on percentage and appear in the finals for the first time in two decades.
The Bulldogs lost six of its final seven games to finish ninth.
New coach Stiles, coaching a Merrigum team that included just four players from the corresponding round of 2022, kicked four second-half goals after being wayward early.
He kicked 40 goals with Macorna in the Golden Rivers league last season and has brought several of the players from that club with him to the KDL kennel.
The Bulldogs trailed by 16 points at quarter time, by 14 at half-time (despite having one more socoring shot) and was five points down at the final break.
They claimed the lead late in the match and, after a shanked kick at goal after the siren, secured the win 10.13 (73) to 10.11 (71).
Merrigum has a favourable draw to start the season, facing only one of the top-five teams in the opening seven rounds.
It faces Dookie this weekend, which finished 10th last season, then has Nagambie (seventh last year), Girgarre (beaten by 129 points on the weekend), reigning premier Lancaster and Rushworth, which finished last year with one win.
Stiles said his team, apart from a short stint in the third quarter, trailed for most of the match.
“We missed goals we shouldn’t have and everyone was a bit scratchy,” Stiles said.
“Some of the team met for the first time on Saturday.”
Merrigum was missing dual best-and-fairest Jack Sinclair, ruckmen Jake Ross and Rhys Bucktin, mid-field brothers Jacob and Ryan Martin, Rohan Hearn, Geoff Connally and Tom Cooper from the corresponding fixture last season.
Cooper’s key defensive post was filled by Stiles’ brother, Josh, while Connor Cowley came into the Bulldogs’ line-up with Kyabram reserves grand final player from last season, Jarryd Pertzel.
Merrigum was without another of its key Macorna recruits, Kansas Varker a late withdrawal from the team.
Damon Zampaglione was a late call up, having already played in the reserves team. He finished among the best players on the ground in the senior match.
Josh Catalano, who had kicked eight goals in the Bulldogs’ reserves team’s win, also doubled up in the seniors.
“There has been a massive turnover of players, but Violet Town was in the same situation,” Stiles said.
He said Cowley and Pertzel, along with a couple of recruits that would be unveiled this weekend at the team’s first home match, would allow Merrigum to be competitive this season.
“I am absolutely rapt and really proud of the team. As a new coach coming into the league there is a lot of unknown, so a first -up win is very pleasing,” he said.
— Merrigum won the reserves match by 144 points, allowing Violet Town just three behinds for the match as Josh Catalano started his season in sensational fashion.
Catalano, who played eight games and kicked 13 goals at senior level last season, also kicked 26 goals in 10 reserve-grade matches. He kicked eight goals in the Bulldogs’ opening win of the season.
Captain Matt Findlay led from the front, while Ethan Moor was one of nine goalkickers for the team and Matthew Williams bagged three in his return to football after playing just one match last season.
