Tyntynder Roughhousing Strengthens Raiders

I heard the Raiders team song for the first time on Saturday, April 10 at the Barham Recreation Reserve. I haven't listened to a victory team song sung at a ground since 1997.

Hearing a new song still brought back memories of my youth following my older brother in the football – the early cold mornings, car-pooling to venues, and meeting people you'll know for life. Team sport teaches valuable life skills, and individuals are more resilient. Following the Barham Koondrook River Raiders has reignited my passion for local football, and it is great to watch the games and see the teams improve in a short time with the practice games.

I am looking forward to the game this week against the Cohuna Kangas.

All Barham Koondrook River Raiders Netball and Football teams wore a black armband in memory of the late June Trewin. June volunteered at the club washing and mending football jumpers, extending back to when the jumpers were wool; the club was honoured to dedicate the day to the dearly loved member.

The Raiders Colts won, the Raiders Reserves won, and the Raiders Seniors played a challenging game. Like a jug turned on and ready to boil, this was the mood of Tyntynder Bulldogs. After losing the pre-games, they were eager to prevent a three-game losing landslide. The Raiders were first to score with a goal in the first five minutes of play, and the game was a tight battle of point in front either way for most of the game. 

The Raiders missed their ruck with the concussion rule, and he is expected back for the season's start. Without an experienced ruck in the middle, the Raiders struggled in the ball up contests. Mother nature threw a spanner in the mix, a 20-degree day with challenging 33km winds and 43km wind gusts. The new clubrooms create a low-pressure zone where the wind did not affect passing. However, either side of the facility was open to the elements and unpredicted ball movement with the goalposts swaying in the wind. The pony club end seemed to be the hardest scoring end. 

Tyntynder looked like an experienced side and could regroup and move the ball from one end of the ground to the other quickly, demonstrating team togetherness. However, their gameplay was rather ugly and of an unnecessarily aggressive nature on and off the ball. The Raiders were strong in defence. Ball progress, from one end to the other, was slower in comparison. The rough play did not phase the Raiders. They played their kind of football, and in the court of public opinion, the Raiders were the men of the match regardless of what the scoreboard depicted. 

“We are disappointed with the loss. There are a few players who cannot make it to training sessions regularly as they are on the road, and once everyone knows players’ strengths and weaknesses we'll gel and play better footy,” stated Shane Guerra, Senior Football Coach.

Senior final score; Raiders 7 goals, 11 points for 53, Bulldogs 8 goals, 13 points for 61. Raiders lost by eight points. The next game will be against the Cohuna Kangas at the Barham Recreation Reserve Saturday, April 17.