A Lachie Horniblow-inspired Geelong West has opened its 2025 account with a thrilling seven-point win over St Albans in front of a vocal crowd at West Oval.
As the heroes of the club’s most recent premiership watched on, the Giants – wearing the same style guernsey the Roosters of 1975 wore in winning that year’s VFA Division 1 premiership – drew inspiration from those greats to hold on for an 11.14 (80) to 10.13 (73) victory.
“It’s important for just a whole heap of reasons to play with some strength and ferocity at the contest,” coach Greg Mellor told krockfootball.live.
“St Albans kept coming, kicking with a bit of a breeze, and we were able to just grind it out.
“It was a really scrappy game today. They closed down the stoppages and made it really hard for us to get any sort of flow on the outside.
“We knew it was going to be a bit of a grind, but we were able to work our way through it, which is really important as a really young group.
“Seven points, we’ll certainly take that, and it’s been a really good day for the club.”
Playing his first match since Round 11 last year, Horniblow, who finished with five goals in an impressive power forward display, was no certainty to play.
“Lachie Horniblow did a fitness test this morning,” Mellor said.
“Thank God that he was able to get through.
“He had a fairly solid game.”
David Handley, who managed only four appearances in 2024, also proved crucial in the closing stages.
After an injury-interrupted pre-season, Handley spent much of the contest in the Giants’ forward half of the ground before involving himself at contests in the midfield late in the match.
“He’s had a real problem with his back… he’s not 100 per cent fit, obviously,” Mellor said.
That’s why we’re playing him mostly forward. But he’s able to kick some goals, and he’s just smart.
“Smart and tough around the footy and uses it really well. And, you know, it’s a bit of experience, and he’ll just get better.
“We just need to try and manage him throughout the year.”
St Albans coach Rick Munn was left to rue a three-goal burst during time-on of the third quarter that helped give Geelong West a 20-point buffer at the final change.
“Good effort. But, I’m not happy with losing,” Munn said.
“And ultimately, I think it was probably a five-minute patch in the third quarter – in red time – where we conceded three goals.
“And it was just through details. We train it, and a couple of the boys went away from it.
“That’s coaching. So we’ll just go to work on it, and, yeah, if we just clean that shit up, we’ll be fine.”
If Horniblow was the match-winner for the Giants, Pilbara product Tom Higgins did his best to lift the Supersaints over the line with four goals to follow three on debut in Round 1.
In other Saturday results;
Leopold and Colac were both missing key players, but the reigning premier proved too good, recording a 76-point win at Memorial Park, 21.8 (134) to 8.10 (58).
St Mary’s kicked ten goals to two after half-time to run out 68-point victors over Newtown & Chilwell at Anthony Costa Oval, 18.16 (124) to 8.8 (56).
Bell Park showed no mercy to North Shore, handing the struggling Seagulls a 160-point hiding at Hamlyn Park, 25.24 (174) to 2.2 (14).
And in the Spirit of the Anzacs twilight clash at Lara Recreation Reserve, Grovedale belted the home team by 120 points, 24.13 (157) to 6.1 (37).
X: @krockfootball
