CENTRAL West AFL newcomers the Bathurst Giants have given the best indication yet that they are improving by getting within 34 points of three-time reigning premiers Orange on Saturday at George Park.

Orange won 16-11-107 to 11-7-73 after leading by six at the first change then 21 following the second and third quarters.

The Tigers don’t look like the side that has been almost unbeatable over the last three seasons, but that should not detract from what the Giants achieved.

Having broken through for their first single quarter win last Saturday against Parkes, and a winning second half in the same game, the Giants managed to match Orange in the third term.

By full-time on Saturday the extra experience and polish told as Orange picked up their first win of 2016, but Giants coach Mark Kennedy knows that his team are closing in on a maiden win.

“It was pretty messy football. We probably made it messy with the way we played because we got in and had a good crack in what was a pretty physical game of footy,” he said.

“Realistically, regardless of how they’re travelling this season, they are the defending premiers, so they have a good group of players still there and to get within 34 points was a great effort.

“We’re getting better and better every week. It’s worth remembering that Orange only lost to the [Bushrangers] Rebels by seven points last week, so to do what we did shows that we’re not too far away.”

The difference in the end was the fact that Orange had a bit more class around goal and were able to make better use of their forays into their attacking 50. 

While the Tigers won’t be especially excited about their overall performance, it was a crucial win for a side which had gone without a victory in the four opening rounds of the competition.

The Giants weren’t just competing with Orange, either.

A run of injuries gave their depth a real test, as they lost James Kennedy to a concussion, Brendan Jones with a back issue and for a time one of their leaders in Kev Walker, who played on despite picking up a painful rib injury.

“We had some really good contributors all across the field, Jordy Longmore was outstanding again, Tim French was great, Mike Borg, Luke Macauley and Josh Broes were excellent again,” Mark Kennedy said.

“We’ve got Young in Young next week, I don’t know if that’s an opportunity for our first win or not, but who knows? The way we’ve played in the last two weeks has given us a lot of confidence.”

While hesitant to pull the trigger and rule out a fourth straight flag for the battling Tigers, Kennedy said that they will need to lift a lot to be a factor in the finals.

“After today with Cowra beating the Bushrangers Outlaws they have to be taken seriously as the side who can maybe stop either of the Bushies teams winning,” he said.

“If they build on that result, they’ll be hard to stop. They’re obviously a bit better at home than away, but it is still a big win.

“Orange might be a top four side if they start to improve and get more and more of their good players back in the side, but based on what I saw today, I think they’re probably going to struggle to win the competition again.”

ORANGE TIGERS 16-11-107 (Brady Bennett 4, Callan Hunt 4, Luke Thorley 3, Mick Rothnie 2, Tristan Degn, Chris Solomon, Chris Pethybridge) defeated BATHURST GIANTS 11-7-73 (Jordan Longmore 3, Jeremy Russell 2, Michael Borg 2, Greg Reid 2, David Jackson, Scott Traves)