Rochester, the 2025 runner-up, has continued to find form after a slow start to the 2026 Goulburn Valley League football season, accounting for Benalla in a big way on the road at the weekend.

Making the trek to Benalla Showgrounds to take on the Saints, the Tigers notched a much-needed percentage boost in the 25.11 (161) to 7.9 (51) win, their third of the season, but remarkably drags them to within a game of the top six despite possessing a losing 3-5 record through eight rounds.

It would be the home side that made the faster start to the contest, though, with big man Mitchell Vasterink slotting the opening majors of the game, but Ash Watson’s men fired back with venom, booting the next five to open up a game-high 23-point gap.

In his 50th game for the Tigers, which was put forward as potentially the best first 50 games played in the the league on its social media channels throughout the week, Mitch Trewhella kick-started the run before adding a second, and would continue to have a big say in proceedings throughout the afternoon.

The two sides traded a major each before quarter-time and it was Rochester that led 37 to 15 at the first break after an ominous opening term.

But Benalla continued to hang in there and, despite giving up four of the first five goals in the second term to trail by as much as 40 points, the Saints rallied, booting the final two majors to close the gap to a much more respectable 30 points at the main break.

Come the third term, though, the Tigers decided enough was enough, and put the game to bed for good.

In a withering burst, Rochester put 7.4 on the board in the third quarter, restricting Benalla to a point in the process, as the Tigers widened the margin to 75 points by the final change.

The majority of the damage came from the boot of Hugh Hamilton, who had been kept goalless to half-time, but broke free of the shackles to take over and slot four of the Tigers’ seven goals in the third quarter, while Felix Fogarty and Bailey and Hunter Wileman added one each as the visitors put the contest beyond Benalla’s reach.

Rochester continued the onslaught into the final term, too, as the Tigers sniffed the 100-point win.

Adding another eight goals to the tally, the best return of the game, the visitors were ruthless, their progress only halted momentarily by a pair of Michael Mummery majors for the Saints, as they roared to the eventual 110-point victory with a sublime second half.

It was fitting that Trewhella was named best-on-ground in his milestone match, providing plenty of grunt through the middle while impacting the scoreboard with three majors, while Bailey Wileman and Cooper Hamilton were also exceptional, each snaring two goals.

Fogarty and Nate Rasmussen rounded out the best, each contributing a goal after starting on opposing wings, while Hugh Hamilton’s four-goal third term was enough to see him finish as the game-high goal-scorer.

Sam Begley was named Benalla’s best, closely followed by veteran James Martiniello, while Tom Riley, Vasterink and Mummery each booted two goals, and debutant Josh Hart snagged a major in his maiden senior outing.

The win leaves Rochester in eighth place on the ladder at 3-5, a game outside the top six despite having lost four of its first five games, while Benalla also possesses a 3-5 record to sit 10th.

The Tigers will look to keep the momentum and claim a scalp as they travel to Kings Park to take on Seymour in round nine, while the Saints will hit the road to take on Shepparton United at Deakin Reserve.

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Sunday, 31st May 2026

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