Same but different as Riley shines in 'significant step forward' for Blues

Returning to the half-back role he played in his early days in the TSL, Riley provided a layer of defence the Blues didn't have against North Launceston.

"I've coached him for 10 years now and when he first started, it was at half-back and he's a very accomplished high-ball intercept marker," Blues coach Mitch Thorp said.

"We saw today his ability to get the ball back for us time and time again was nice to see but that's because the pressure around the ball was solid."

Despite Launceston's best efforts, the reigning premiers were too strong as Tyler Carter and Mitch Brouwer led the goal-kicking with seven between them.

"It was a significant step forward against last year's premiers," Thorp said.

"Halfway through the last quarter we were in the game, we asked the boys to try and win it which opened us up a little bit ... it was 47 in the end and we were within four goals.

"The desperation, the care and the want to play a physical brand of footy was nice to see."

The home side put the pressure on the reigning premiers early, kicking the game's first goal through young gun Lenny Faulkner.

After a resounding applause for the Blues' first goal of the season, the Tigers roared back - kicking the next three as Lochie Griggs, Kieran Lovell and Carter found the big sticks.

Rocky Barron made the most of his second shot on goal to secure another for the home side but a late second goal to Carter gave the Tigers a two-major quarter-time lead.

At quarter-time, Thorp was pleased with the side's intensity, effort and pressure - and that was on show minutes into the second term as several scuffles ensued.

Neither side added goals for the first 24 minutes of the term until Kingborough's Brouwer snapped the drought with a classy set-shot from 50 out.

The Tigers doubled the quarter's goal tally when a 50-metre penalty put Marcus Gardner at the top of the square just as the siren sounded.

Players had to be separated as several minor scuffles broke out, with the Tigers taking a 6.5 (41) to 2.4 (16) lead into half-time.

They extended it immediately after the long break as Carter nailed his third and James Webb found himself in space and slotted the major.

The Blues bit back through Seth Pfeiffer, producing their best passage of play for the year as Liam Jones handballed to an open Conall McCormack who found Ben Hyatt. He then kicked it to Pfeiffer's advantage and the forward was held about 20 metres out from goal.

Kingborough produced a better passage just moments later as recruit Colin Skeen put it out in front of Max Collidge.

Skeen, who won the 2021 under-18 Stawell Gift, hit his forward perfectly on the run before Collidge kicked the goal.

He missed the opportunity to kick consecutive majors, which eventually saw Launceston go up the other end of the ground and score through Ben Hyatt for his first goal in blue.

Down by 33 points at the final break, Thorp called for his supporters to huddle around the group, encouraging his players to have one last crack at winning the game.

They responded immediately through Sam Foley, who was swung forward in a move rarely seen before and Jake Kilby.

But the Tigers were not going to let them have it as they booted five consecutive goals through James Zeitzen, Carter, Brouwer, Skeen and Brouwer again.

A classy Isaac Hyatt snap broke the Tigers' run and Foley's second came from several 50-metre penalties before Kingborough's Collidge was the game's last goal-kicker.

Thorp also praised the work of Josiah Burling and Tiernan McCormack. "The really pleasing part was that we kept getting the ball, giving ourselves an opportunity to score - it was just overall a strong effort but we've got some work to do on our method."