
Terang Mortlake coach Ben Kenna hopes early signs of belief in taking it to the competition's best will translate into another big match up for his group.
The Bloods went down by 29-points against Portland, however Kenna was pleased with his group's improved performance following huge losses to other top five teams.
Both Terang Mortlake and Portland matched it in the opening quarter, scores locked at 2.3 (15). But it was a 10-minute stretch to start the second that hurt the Bloods most, the Tigers pouncing for a 5.6 to 1.0 reward. Kenna's men cut the margin back to 20 by three quarter time, but the Tigers proved too strong in the last and remain undefeated.
"I was pretty happy based on where we'd been and where (Portland) were," Kenna said. "We've only had the one win but I thought if we take out 10-12 minutes at the start of the second, that was pretty positive signs to match it with a side like Portland.
"Our appetite to compete and stay in the game, the conditions having been a bit slippery and greasy probably helped us to put more pressure on them."
Dylan Jones' work in the ruck was key for the Bloods, while Portland skipper Daniel Jackson was his side's best.
"It's not generally (Dylan's) role, ruck," Kenna said. "He's a back line player but he stepped up as an undersized person in the ruck."
Terang Mortlake meet South Warrnambool on Saturday, who only just dropped its first game this round. Kenna said his team needed to attack the Roosters like they did the Tigers.
"We want to put in an effort like we put in (Saturday) night," he said. "That is the benchmark we've got to produce, whether it's against a top three opponent or a side further down the ladder. We've got to maintain that level of pressure and appetite for the contest to make it hard for the competition."
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