Both teams finished with just two players on the bench as the return to football and hot weather took its toll.

The Tigers lost Blair McCutcheon (Lat) just before half-time and James Fary (hamstring) played no further part after the early stages of the third term.

"He (Fary) will go through the process and we will get him through," Merrivale coach Josh Sobey said after his side's 23.23 (161) to 5.2 (32) victory over the Warriors.

"It's always tough when you have put in the work and you get an injury but he is a good guy and will do everything right.

"Blair we are not sure where he is at but he should be alright. It's in his Lat and it's very odd. We wanted to take the cautions approach towards the end and ice him up.

"It did put extra pressure on a few of the other boys to see out the game as there was a lot of cramps on both sides."

The Warriors lost ruckman Nick Alexandrou not long after half-time while captain Paul Campbell didn't play most of the second half.

"Nick has hurt his knee and Paul went down with heat stress," Old Collegians playing-coach Nick Sheehan said after the defeat.

"Hopefully they are alright. There were a few other niggles."

The Tigers jumped out to a fast start, kicking five goals to two in the opening term with the Warriors unable to break the stringent Merrivale defence.

In the second term it was all the Tigers again as they put the foot down to keep the Warriors goal-less and pile on seven goals at the other end.

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The Warriors pushed in the third term, adding three goals but again the Tigers won the quarter with four majors of their own.

Seven more goals to zero were piled on in the last quarter as the Tigers stormed to the 129-point victory.

Nathan Krepp (five goals) and Jyron Neave (four) were dangerous around goal while Tate and Jalen Porter were prolific around the ground and also hit the scoreboard with a goal each.

Sobey was pleased his side could keep the Warriors to just five goals while at the same time breaking a hoodoo stretching back to 2015.

"We haven't beaten them for a long period of time and we were able to keep them to 32 points. I thought we defended and executed the game plan well," he said.

"We traced it back to nearly 15 years. They have been a good outfit for a long period of time and there was going to be a moment where they would need to blood a few kids but they are going to be fine.

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"They are going to be a good side. They have good structures but I thought our boys executed the game plan pretty well.

"I'm really proud of them because they have been putting in a lot of effort since mid-November and we have been getting consistent numbers.

"We had a few miss out but the squad has been training well. It's a small step and we have still got plenty to work on but I'm proud they got the reward for what they put in."

Sobey said he would look to continue fine-tuning his side ahead of a early test of its premiership credentials against reigning premiers Kolora-Noorat.

Sheehan conceded his side was not ready to match the Tigers.

"They were too quick, too big, too skilful and too fit for us. It is just where we have got to get to and that is what we have to build to and get to that," he said.

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"They beat us on the outside. They were too quick on the outside and then spread it from there. Mentally in the last quarter we were gone but that's what happens when the pressure is put on you.

"We just have to stick together and work on what we have got to work on and try and get better."

Sheehan praised debutants Jonah Bowles and Elijah Dawson, who were under a constant barrage down back for most of the afternoon.

"It was coming in pretty hot and they battled on in contest after contest," he said of the pair. "I thought they were very fair for their first game and under so much pressure. They will only get better with more games of footy behind them."

The Tigers play the Power in round two while Old Collegians will face Panmure in its second match.

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