A strong opening wasn't enough to save the Ararat Rats from what coach Shane Fisher called a "bitterly disappointing" defeat at the hands of the Southern Mallee Giants at the weekend.
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The two sides faced off for the opening round of the Wimmera League finals on Saturday, hosted by Minyip-Murtoa.
It was the Giants who took the first goal within two minutes of the opening round, but Ararat answered them with three of their own.
Ararat had the wind in their favour and one could only speculate as to how much that played into the devastation that plagued the side in the second quarter.
The Rats could barely get a look in as the Giants kicked goal after goal and refused to let the Rats win the ball back.
That second quarter set the tone of the game.
The Giants' playing coach Coleman Schache said it was a few things that sent the match their way.
"We were happy with our effort - it was consistent, as was our tackling, and we thought we kept their marks down and we were pleased with ours," he said.
"We just knew we had to not turn the ball over as much going into the forward line, which I thought we did in the second quarter and we turned it into goals."
Fisher said that after quarter time "we just shut up shop."
"The Giants are an experienced outfit," Fisher said. "If you look at them physical-wise, they are a lot stronger, and they're the type of side that can blow you away in little spurts in the game."
If wind was a factor for the Giants' second quarter turn around, it was clear they knew how to play to it much better than their opponents.
"We moved the ball well," Schache said. "We didn't take our foot off the pedal. Our run from the back with Sam White and Sam Weddell I thought was terrific."
By half time the Giants had caught up and them some, with a 19 point lead. The Rats walked off the field having gained nothing all quarter.
It was a frustrating third quarter that put the Giants ahead by 13 points.
The Rats failed to break through the defence despite the wind advantage and playing a man on man game.
If the Rats did manage to get the ball the Giants quickly got it back - they managed to turn every fumble by a Rat to their advantage, continuing to get the ball away and back down their end of the field.
The Rats did manage three goals but the Giants were aided by their lead so by the time the quarter ended, their low level scoring wasn't enough to put them back.
"To our credit a little bit in the third quarter we got back," Fisher said. "But every time we got back they seemed to retaliate and put the pressure back on us. It was probably just our work rate from half back to half forward - if you zoned that part of the ground we just seemed really ordinary."
Once the fourth got under way the Giants were quick to keep pushing their lead, quickly adding 31 points to the scoreboard.
By the end of the match, Giants players were running around with grins on their faces.
"We'll be raring to go again next week," Schache said.
A repeat effort next weekend would send the Giants straight to the Grand Final.
The Rats will have to up the ante if they want to push through to the end.
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