Sport
17 June, 2026
Conditions dampen Demons–Thunder clash
The conditions played a big role in the clash between the Demons and Thunder on Saturday, according to Southern Mallee coaching director Jake Bridges.
The conditions played a big role in the clash between the Demons and Thunder on Saturday, according to Southern Mallee coaching director Jake Bridges.
"The rain made it a tough day for both sides," Bridges said.
"Looking at scores across the league, it seems most games were heavily influenced by the weather."
As the home side, the Thunder led at every interval, up by nine points at the end of the first quarter and 17 points both at the big break and heading into the final quarter.
Final scores were 9.14 (68) to 6.7 (43).
Bridges said the coaching group was pleased with the way the Thunder adapted and dug in.
"It wasn’t perfect football," he admitted, "but it was another example of us learning to play our brand for longer periods of time.
"We had some strong patches throughout the game and showed good resilience when momentum shifted."
Most pleasing, he said, was the collective effort from the team.
"Everyone contributed, and in challenging conditions, it was our willingness to stay connected, compete relentlessly and keep finding a way that helped us get the result," Bridges said.
"Ultimately, it was a hard-fought win.
"We’re still building our brand and method through our behaviours."
Best on ground for the Demons were Benjamin Janetzki and Oakley Farr, while Farr and Matthew Long chipped in with a couple of majors each.
The Thunder were best led by Haydn Drew and Jai Kennealy, with Kennealy and Matty Lloyd finding the big sticks each a couple of times for their side.
This week Thunder have a bye before getting back into the thick of things against Nhill in round 10 on June 27.