The Tigers scored an emphatic 17.8 (110) to 8.9 (57) victory over Nirranda to jump into second spot.

"What we need to do is be able to take another scalp in Kolora-Noorat," Rowan said.

"Just to have a mental edge of 'yes, righto we really can match it with these top two sides going forward into the business end'."

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The Tigers mentor, who kicked seven goals, said his side would take an important lesson from the win over the Blues.

"Obviously, now it's about adapting for that first quarter and to know how hot it is going to be," he said.

"And how quick the game is going to be."

Nirranda, which lost to Kolora-Noorat the previous week, came out guns blazing and looked the better side in the opening term.

The Blues led by eight points at the first change and it could have been more.

"It took us a quarter to really pick up on how quick it is up against a quality opposition," Rowan said.

"But after that, we just stuck to what we know and what we've been working on all year.

"We just kept playing that high-risk footy."

Rowan is well aware Kolora-Noorat took a 42-point lead into quarter-time in round seven.

"It's going to take absolutely everything we've got next week," he said.

Nirranda co-coach Shane Threlfall said his team started well but then the Tigers got on top.

"I thought our first quarter was fantastic, we got back to our really strong brand of footy which is supporting each other, hitting the contest hard and spotting up forwards," he said.

"I thought after that Merrivale really started to control the stoppages, their handball and link up kicks were fantastic and they spread a lot quicker than us."

Threlfall said Rowan proved a handful for his team.

"'Rowie' was back to his best," he said.

The Blues mentor said his team had work to do.

"Our brand is that high intensity footy, we have to maintain that for longer," he said.

"Some of our hands in tight haven't been what we're used to.

"So we cough it up in tight and then all of a sudden we're chasing them on the outside.

"Our work-rate has dropped off a bit too, I reckon."

Both the Tigers and Blues lost a player at quarter-time.

Merrivale backman Todd McLean sustained a hamstring strain and didn't return.

Rowan said the move was precautionary and he could have come back on.

Threlfall said forward Jack Primmer tweaked his hamstring and could miss two weeks.

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