Koroit footballers Will Couch and Jyron Neave dominant in Hampden league's opening round

Premiership player Will Couch (four goals) and recruit Jyron Neave (three) were dangerous in the Saints' 18.18 (126) to 5.6 (36) round one win.

Koroit coach Chris McLaren said the pair was "brilliant" in the first half as the Saints raced to a 62-point lead.

"They were good with and without the ball," he said. "For Will it's probably the first time in quite a while he's been able to do a full pre-season and he's feeling good."

It was an emotional day for the Saints with Tom Baulch - the son of Clinton who passed away earlier in the week - playing in the senior team. McLaren said he was in awe of the teenager's strength.

"He kicked a goal early in the second from a really good smother and intercept and ran in and kicked the goal and the whole team got around him as you can imagine," he said.

"It was an emotional day but for him to play, it's as brave a thing from a young person I have seen to be honest.

"To put himself out there and do what he did today was incredible really."

Kangaroos coach Hamish Waldron rued his side's sluggish start.

"We knew it was going to be a tough task but didn't think it was going to be by that much which was really disappointing," he said.

"In the first half we turned the footy over too much. Our second half was quite pleasing and how we wanted to play. I put the hard word on them at half-time and said we had to go out and play how we wanted to play and we went out and actually did it.

"I couldn't fault our guys' pressure. I thought they worked hard all day."

Mick McMeel had the task on Sam Dobson and kept him to three goals and debutant Zach Burgess was "a livewire on the wing".

"Taine Morris was our best player. He played at centre half-back and just ran off and created a bit which was good for us," Waldron said.

Both sides had players concussed in the first term - Saint Will Petersen was hurt in a tackle as was Roo Ryan Sigley.

Both will miss round two under the concussion protocols.

The Roos also lost Andrew Pepper to a hand injury and forward Hugh Douglas hobbled off the ground with a knee injury with a few minutes remaining.

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