Webb debuts for Tigers-Hawks derby

By Owen Sinclair

Jun 10, 2025

Lucas Roberts shakes the pressure from Barooga’s Thomas Bandi. Credit: Mary Hyde. Photo by Contributed

Cobram made the most of its home-ground advantage in round nine of the Murray FNL, with two victories over rivals Barooga over the weekend.

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In the seniors, star Jackson Trengove made short work of the Barooga defence early on, booting his side’s first two majors and getting Cobram up in the first term.

Cobram was able to keep the Hawks scoreless to quarter time, but an early second-quarter major gave Barooga the boost it needed to go on to reach 2.2 (14) by half-time, trailing Cobram 7.6 (48).

Barooga's Riley Brooks wraps up Cobram’s Spiros Vourgaslis in the senior action. Credit: Mary Hyde. Photo by Contributed

But the derby, which featured Tiger cub Jaxon Webb in his senior debut, quickly became a one-sided affair.

Inaccuracy in front of goal in the third term cost the Hawks, while Cobram managed to inch further ahead with a further 2.1 to open its lead to 38 points at the beginning of the final quarter.

Cobram pursued the scent of victory mercilessly, ending a dominant performance by keeping Barooga scoreless in the final term while extending its own margin by a further four majors and one behind.

The final scoreline went the hosts’ way on 13.9 (87) to Barooga 3.5 (23).

Cobram has moved into fifth position on the senior league standings, behind Congupna, Moama, Nathalia and Mulwala, while Barooga finds itself at the bottom of the ladder without a single win this season.

Cobram faces seventh-placed Rumbalara next week at Rumbalara.

Meanwhile, Barooga will take on Numurkah at home.

Reserves

What soon became just another day’s work for Cobram’s reserves outfit under skipper Dan Ellis saw the Hawks make a punctuation mark with clinical accuracy in front of the big sticks.

Connor Baxa’s 150th club game for Cobram turned into yet another field day for Matt DeMaio, who left the Barooga backline in tatters by booting a healthy seven majors.

The first half saw Cobram take a 36-point lead on 9.6 (60) to Barooga’s 4.0 (24). But no matter what Barooga threw at them, the Tigers kept the Hawks confined to just one more major in a second half that saw Cobram take its eighth win of the season on 20.10 (130) to 5.0 (30).