ST FRANCIS Xavier got its Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) season off to a flying start with a tough 28-point win over The Powerhouse on Saturday.
Powerhouse showed that they had come to play with some good tough footy in the first half.
Their willingness to put their head over the ball kept them in the contest until SFX gained the ascendancy in the second half.
Gun recruit Chris Smith showed why he would prove a handful for opposition midfields, gathering possessions at will.
Fellow young gun recruit Tim Burns came straight from track work at Caulfield and proved that his riding weight was no deterrent to winning a hard ball against quality opposition.
The Flashy Clone of cousin, and idol, Sam, showed he will be a handy acquisition to a pacey midfield.
The big-men upheld their end of the bargain too with bookends Justin Butterfield and Nathan Jones prevalent all day.
Dwayne “Scooter” Scott again showed why he was the league’s hardest match-up and roamed around the ground gathering possessions and contested marks in a Matthew Pavlich-like performance.
The back six were solid all day and conceded two goals in the second half, one of which was the result of a runner’s infringement.
New coach Brad Jones was happy with his first victory at the helm despite the X-men taking a half to hit their straps.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces so we expected the lads to take a while to get going,” he said.
The X-men back up at home against arch-rival Richmond Central. The Tigers have not taken the points from the X-men in six seasons despite numerous games separated by a goal or two, and will be desperate to try and balance the ledger.
SCORES
VAFA – DIVISION 3
St Francis Xavier 2.4 4.6 9.10 10.11 (71)
Power House 1.1 2.5 2.6 5.13 (43)
St Francis Xavier Goals: D. Scott 3, P. Tucker 2, J. Leworthy, J. Butterfield, C. Smith, N. Jones, J. Abel. Best: T. Burns, C. Smith, J. Butterfield, D. Scott, S. Burns, C. Van Dam.
Power House Goals: L. Johnston 2, H. Tomlinson, R. Humphreys, J. Gatti. Best: H. Tomlinson, S. Watson, M. Conomy, D. Baker, M. Webb, B. Leske.
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