Geelong Advertiser |
STAR spearhead Scott Hughes produced one of his best performances in Torquay colours yesterday as the Tigers sharpened their premiership credentials with a thumping 83-point win over Modewarre.
Hughes, who bagged 106 majors last season, slotted a season-high 13 goals as the grand finalists downed the Warriors 23.9 (147) to 9.10 (64) at Mt Moriac Reserve.
Tigers coach Craig McCaughan said it was Hughes's best game yet.
"Apart from the goals, I think it was one of the most unselfish games I've seen him play," McCaughan said.
"Every contest he went near he affected. And he did a lot of team things as well as a few goals.
"I'd say it's the best game I've probably seen him play. This year he has taken some really good marks and we probably go to him too much - but we went to him at the right times today.
"He demands the footy and took his marks and his chances when he needed to. The scoreboard showed that."
McCaughan praised his team's four-quarter effort. "We were a little sloppy in the first quarter but the other three quarters were very solid, which I'm happy about," he said.
"Every game is pretty important to us now. We're halfway through and we need to win all the games we should win.
"It's always a tough comp and those games (against Modewarre) you need to win. Our form hasn't been great but I feel we're slowly getting better. Sometimes it's hard to know how well you're going until you play the likes of Ammos and Queenscliff."
McCaughan said he would know more about Torquay's hopes for a flag after Saturday's clash against Geelong Amateur.
"We think our team is pretty strong but whether it is good enough and whether our players can hold their structures remains to be seen," he said.
"We played them in Round 2 at our home ground and they gave us a lesson, to be honest. We probably should have lost by more.
"They are going to be really hard to beat out there (Queen's Park) but we'll do everything we can to win the four points."
