A PIECE of history, a milestone for the captain and brothers uniting - the Bathurst Giants' 12-7-79 to 4-5-29 win over the Orange Tigers on Saturday was about more than just competition points.
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As the Giants came from a two-goal deficit at quarter-time to beat the Tigers at Waratah Sports Club, it marked the first time the club's senior men's side had beaten every rival in their first meeting of the season.
They are currently the only undefeated side.
"It's the first time in our history that after playing all teams for the first time we've gone undefeated, so we'll take that as a win," Giants coach Mark Kennedy said.
"We always say that we want those small victories and we'll celebrate those small victories, so that's one for us.
"But we also talk about complacency, we can't get complacent and just think that it's going to happen. We got a couple of injuries again out of that, so we'll have to reassess the side to play the Bushrangers this Saturday."
Another milestone came for Giants captain Bailey Brien as he played his 50th senior game for the club. He marked the occasion by doing what he has long done in the orange and charcoal - racking up possession, making quality disposals and leading by example.
He was named players' player.
"It was his 50th senior game but he's been with us all the way through from juniors and the establishment of the senior men," Kennedy said of Brien.
"We're really proud of him to come right through from juniors and now be our captain.
"He did really well too, he led by example, led from the front. He got knocked over every time he got near the football, but he got back up and kept doing his bit for the team."
The other special touch to the match was it featured brothers Ben, Chad and Leigh Monaghan in the same Giants side.
"We've had Chad and Leigh turn up and Ben used to play for Orange actually in their super sides when they won three in a row," Kennedy said.
"So it was really good for us to get the three boys on the field, it's the first time they've ever been on the paddock together."
While the Giants had plenty to celebrate at the final siren, the opening quarter belonged to the Tigers.
Playing with the wind at their backs in icy conditions, they booted three majors in the opening term and restricted the visitors to one.
But with Brien, Liam Cooke and Mitch Taylor working well through the centre and Jack Goodsell controlling the ruck, the Giants fought their way back into the contest.
"Look I don't really want to play football in the Antarctic any more, it was freezing," Kennedy said.
"The conditions didn't suit our style of play at all and the Tigers got off to a bit of a quick start, they kicked three goals in the first quarter.
"I thought 'Here we go, it's going to come down to who uses the wind best' and that's what it did come down to.
"In the second quarter we kicked six and I thought I had to really bolster our back line [for the third], so I pushed a couple back after the bounce ... that really nullified their attack using the wind.
"They didn't kick a goal with the wind, it was fantastic, it was the best defensive game of football I think we've ever played.
"We just used the wind really well and consolidated and kicked away in the last quarter."
The Giants came from behind to lead by 12 at half-time and from there went on with the job. As Kennedy indicated, their efforts in defence were impressive as the Tigers managed just three behinds in the second half.
Sam Sloan booted four majors for the victorious Giants, with Brien and Leigh Monaghan bagging a double.
BATHURST GIANTS 12-7-79 (Sam Sloan 4, Leigh Monaghan 2, Bailey Brien 2, Jack Goodsell, Simon Kay, Oscar Mann, Damian Cuff) defeated ORANGE TIGERS 4-5-29 (Todd Fagan 3, Thomas Wass)
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