A clash with undefeated Mooroopna at Rochester Recreation Reserve was always going to be a tough fixture for the Tigers, but with first-choice goalers Teal Hocking and Tia Webb still absent, the task looked insurmountable.
That was proven to be the case on the court as the Cats won all four quarters to cruise to a 53-26 win and a 6-0 record this season.
Co-coach Linda Rasmussen was pragmatic about the performance and felt her side played better than the scoreline suggested.
“(Mooroopna) are a good side and a really tall side, to be honest,” she said.
“We were happy. We knew we were going to struggle without our two A-grade goalers in, so we put up a good fight, though the score probably didn't really show how close the competition was, we thought.”
The Tigers were bolstered by the addition of Morgan Dingwall, who made her first appearance and slotted into goal shooter to attempt to cover Webb’s absence.
“It helped with the ball movement,” Rasmussen said.
“(Morgan) hasn't played this season, so it was a bit of a rough contest to throw her back in, but she did really well and I thought the flow down the court was heaps better.
“She has experience but it's just her athleticism and her speed, her footwork is really quick and just the way she reads the play so she just adds that bit of speed and dynamics down into that attack end.”
After a promising start, Rochester has now lost four in a row for a 2-4 record, with the injury crisis certainly not helping the Tigers’ chances against the league’s better sides.
Webb’s injury is listed as long term and there is currently no timeline on her return, while Rasmussen says Hocking is being judged on a week-by-week basis.
When she does return, the Tigers will also have to defer to Hocking’s VNL duties.
Coinciding with the personnel issue is a cruel fixture that sees Rochy transition from Mooroopna this week to hosting Euroa, which is also undefeated, next weekend before a league-wide bye will give the Tigers a chance to regroup and rehabilitate their line-up.
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