Woodend-Hesket shocks premier Riddell to launch RDFNL season

Woodend-Hesket showed the pre-season hype might be real with a strong win over reigning premier Riddell to kick start the Riddell District season.

Tom O'Loughlin in action for Woodend-Hesket. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Woodend-Hesket’s 16-year losing streak against Riddell is over.

The Hawks lived up to the pre-season hype with a 36-point win over the reigning RDFNL premier on Good Friday.

It was the club’s first win over Riddell since 2007.

In a show of defensive dominance, Woodend-Hesket conceded just two behinds in the second half to triumph 8.7 (55) to 2.7 (19) at Gilbert Gordon Oval.

“It’s a fair hoodoo to break, so everyone from the club was very pleased,” Hawks coach Josh Pound said.

“It’s a massive credit to the seven players we put through our backline for the day.

“Our captain Alastair Rae was terrific, my cousin Tom Pound – that was his best game for the club by a fair way – playing on some dangerous small forwards and never looked like getting beaten.

“Young Riley Ferguson, an under-19s player, played key position and was extremely clean in the conditions and I could go on – Frank Fazzolari, Harley Giddings and Taylor Kelly.

“That was the most impressive thing for me for the day, how well our backline held up.”

Scores were level at quarter-time before Woodend-Hesket took the initiative in the second term, setting up a six-point lead at the half.

As the sky began to clear the home team then took full control, booting two goals to none in the third term to take a 17-point margin into the final change and adding three more majors to seal a comprehensive win.

“I felt like as the conditions got better, we got better and I felt the work we did in pre-season was really important in our midfield and backline running out the game,” Pound said.

“The first half was impacted by the weather, it was extremely scrappy and the rain was heavy throughout.

Daniel Toman in action for Woodend-Hesket.

“The majority of the goals kicked in the first half were scrappy and it was one of those games you were playing for territory.”

Rae was superb in defence to earn best-on-ground honours, alongside Pound, while Riley Paterson impressed in his first game against his premiership teammates.

In his Hawks debut, East Fremantle WAFL recruit Sam Medland was the game’s only multiple goalkicker, finishing with two.

“I’ve had a lot to do with Smeds over the journey, watching him come through the ranks at Aberfeldie,” Pound said.

“He really showed his class in trying conditions with his cleanliness with a wet footy and ability to hit the scoreboard from the midfield.”

For Riddell, former captain Matt Panuccio was best afield in his first game back, while Dylan Tarczon, Brad Mundy and Bryce Williamson also shone.

It doesn’t get any easier for Woodend-Hesket with a trip to grand finalist Diggers Rest on Saturday.

Pound said it would keep his players focused.

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“Riddell are a quality side but we won’t be getting ahead of ourselves,” he said.

“They could have just had an off day, as I said it was trying conditions, a few things went our way early and we made the most of our opportunities.

“It’s one game in a really long season, I told everyone to enjoy the night on Friday but as of this week we’re focused on Diggers at Diggers, which will be as tough, if not tougher.”

Riddell will look to bounce back when it hosts Macedon in the Puka Up Cup at Riddells Creek Reserve.