The Tigers took to the road over the weekend for the second time this season, traveling to Atlanta for a showdown against the rival Kookaburras. They were greeted by plenty of familiar faces, many of whom they had played alongside just a few short months ago at Nationals. One of whom even played as a Tiger last year. Nice to see you Kyler!
Expectations were tempered as the Tigers approached Candler Park. The trip to Atlanta has seldom been kind to the visitors, and last year was particularly lopsided. The Tigers were determined not to repeat those results and came out firing on all cylinders.
The Tigers played aggressive footy right out of the gate, winning the stoppages and locking the ball in their forward half for most of the first quarter. This early intensity resulted in the Tigers leading the Kookaburras by 7 points at quarter time, 2.2.14 to 1.1.7. In the 2nd quarter, the Tigers were just a little less accurate in front of goal and Atlanta took the lead 4.2.26 to 2.4.16. At three quarter time, Atlanta’s lead remained the same (6.4.39 to 4.5.29).
The fourth quarter proved to be a struggle for Baton Rouge, as the speed of Atlanta’s midfield and the depth of its bench began to take its toll on the traveling Tigers. On seemingly fresher legs, the Kookaburras kicked 6.0 for the final term. Whereas, the Tigers faded down the stretch kicking only 1.1. Final Score: Atlanta 12.4.76 to Baton Rouge 5.6.36. Tigers Best: Lachlan McQueen
Following the match, both clubs and their supporters gathered at The Bird to drink away the bumps and bruises celebrate another footy weekend gone by. The Tigers now have three weeks to lick their wounds, gather their focus, and meditate on lessons learned from this defeat before traveling to Little Rock for the Central Regional Tournament and the end of the first half of the 2017 season.
Baton Rouge Tigers Australian Rules Football Club 