Border Mail | THURGOONA announced itself as a premiership contender with a crushing 66-point victory against the previously undefeated Rutherglen on Saturday.
The Bulldogs have made a slower-than-expected start to the year but produced their best performance of the season to register their third victory 20.15 (135) to 10.9 (69).
Matt Fowler kicked six goals while Jake Bruce chimed in with five straight as the Bulldogs inflicted the Cats with their first defeat of the season and broke their five-match winning streak.
Former Ovens and Murray players Jayden Kotzur and Aydan Brown led the way for Thurgoona, which moves to 3-3 and within one win of the top five.
The Bulldogs started the brighter of the two teams but Rutherglen was within 11 points at half-time after booting five unanswered goals in the second term.
They piled on six goals in each of the third and final quarters to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
“It’s the best we’ve played all year but we’re mindful of the fact that Rutherglen had a hard game against Barnawartha and played some brilliant football last week,” Thurgoona co-coach Jamarl O’Sullivan said.
“We put a lot of pressure on around the ball, our boys were running and everyone was playing together as a team.
“We were prepared to work for each other, which was the key.
“Every game is important, we just want to continue that winning form.
“We’ve got the right players, we just have to keep turning up each week being prepared to do our bit for the team. We’ve got a big game to focus on against Chiltern this week now.
