EIGHT new faces, stifling weather and 18 months off.
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If the Hampden league's season-opener revealed anything, it's that Koroit is still the benchmark.
The new-look Saints showed signs of their devastating best in trying conditions as they stunned South Warrnambool in a 48-point rout at Victoria Park on Good Friday.
Koroit's ever-reliable mainstays - Sam Dobson, Jarrod Korewha and Jeremy Hausler - were among the best but its new blood drew praise from coach Chris McLaren.
"We had three boys play their first game and then Clemmy Nagorcka who has played a bit over the years, Jack O'Sullivan, who should've played 50 or 60 games if his body hadn't of let him down," McLaren said.
"He's played two now and he was tremendous for us. We'll all love to keep the great players, but when you have a turnover - we've only brought Timmy McIntyre back - Dylan McCutcheon came back from Bendigo and Blake Carroll came across from Port Fairy.
"When you lose six or seven and only bring in two or three all of a sudden some of your young guys get to play. Some of the boys that've left, we'd love them to come back as they're great people and great players.
"But it does give you a little shot in the arm as a coach and as a group when all of a sudden, some of those (young) boys (stand up)."
McLaren said Koroit - which trailed the Roosters by four points at quarter time - was able to improve its discipline and "control the footy a bit better" as it gained ascendancy in the second and third term.
"We gave away far too many free kicks in that first quarter, I think the free-kick count was about 8-1 to start the game," he said.
I reckon with the new (man on the mark) rule there's a bit more space so it is a bit harder to slow teams up and get momentum off them.
- Chris McLaren
"That didn't help and we just gave the ball back a bit. We were able to keep control of the footy a bit more and slow them up.
"We really struggled to slow them up early and few times throughout the game - it felt like they were coming back into it a little bit in that third quarter.
"I reckon with the new (man on the mark) rule there's a bit more space so it is a bit harder to slow teams up and get momentum off them.
"They kicked poorly but we probably gave them some tough shots too."
Dobson booted five goals while Korewha and Will Couch added three apiece. Nagorcka, Fraser Robb, Alex Pulling, McCutcheon and McIntyre all scored singles.
South Warrnambool coach Mat Battistello said his side - which was missing several of its high-profile recruits including Ricky Henderson, Joe Dalton and Louis Herbert - was disappointed to lose but took positives from the clash.
"It was certainly a blowout on the scoreboard. I thought the contested stuff was quite good all day. Their execution and experience probably shone through at key moments," he said.
"I thought were more positives than there were negatives. We've got a new group and lots of players out so there are lots of good takeaways and positives for us."
Battistello said the Roosters' first quarter, in which they had five scoring shots to one, was something to build upon.
"I thought we got really good looks at it," he said.
"They kicked extremely straight which obviously puts the scoreboard pressure on and they were able to do that. When you can't put the scoreboard pressure on it gives them more energy."
Saint Jayden Watson suffered a corked hip while South Warrnambool had no injuries to report.
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