by Davyd Reid
When asked for his bold prediction at the Ellinbank District Football Netball League season launch, Lang Lang coach Daniel Fry said Yarragon had the talent to go all the way.
His prediction would appear to have some merit, the Panthers at the very least showing they will be far more competitive against the higher ranked sides.
Aside from a burst to finish the third term, the Tigers were challenged and pushed by a fast-finishing Panthers to clinch a narrow 12-point victory, 12-11 (83) to 10-11 (71).
The Tigers are anticipating the signature of former Sturt SANFL and Footscray VFL 202cm former club junior Josh Patullo, and his presence would have been handy amongst the Panther challenge.
The first half was a real arm wrestle, both sides heading into the long break locked at 4-7 apiece.
The Panthers made the perfect start, Braydon Preuss winning the tap for a centre clearance that found Mitch Jolly on the lead for a goal.
Darcy Walls followed up to roll one through to level the scores before Curtis Barker converted to edge the Tigers ahead.
A run of minor scores, including a set shot poster from Gabriel Bonicelli, prevented the Panthers from moving ahead of the first change.
Yarragon entered the second term full of belief, but it was Cameron Brown who put through the first of the second term on the back of a rebound.
Nathan Mazza began to show dash in the middle of the ground and interrupted a Lang Lang pass to set up Brendan Hermann in the pocket.
Bonicelli drifted forward for a major in the pocket before their next attack started from another Brett Coghill intercept mark.
The Panthers entered the contest looking to attack where possible, this time moving quick to hunt down Preuss, which set up the roving goal to Sam Clebney.
The Tigers found Barker on the lead, with his shot just clearing the line to see the sides head to the changerooms with scores level.
Each side traded blows as scoring opened up in the second half, Marc Holt taking a strong mark in the goal square for the first.
Corey Binzer responded by converting from a free kick before an attempted hack kick in defence proved costly for the Panthers, Holt snapping another.
A long goal from Kyle Van der pluym and then Walls drifting forward opened a handy 19-point buffer mid-way through the third term.
Free kicks inside forward 50 began to become a factor with pressure of hot forward 50 entries, Jolly and Walls trading goals.
The Tigers found Holt on a short lead with the shot on the siren just sneaking inside the post, only for the umpires to deem he had moved off his line to have the major denied.
Barker, Brett Kirkham, Troy Dolan, Bradley Ventura, Walls and Van der pluym continued to charge as Lang Lang looked to finish full of running.
Holt snapped from deep in the pocket before Dylan Gallasch ran into open goal to further increase the margin.
The likes of Jolly, Coghill, Hermann, Jack Symes, Clebney and Preuss ensured the Panthers would continue to challenge.
A sensational running goal from Jolly provided the spark, the forward converting minutes later from the open goal.
Hermann converted from the lead as the spectators began to find voice, the desperation on show through a diving tap on from Holt and subsequent smother from a Panthers defender.
The AFL level skill of Preuss was on show with some precision passing into the forward line as the link up the ground, but the Panthers could only find minors.
Having learnt from last week's clash with Longwarry, much more composed in chipping the ball around and finding targets from their relieving marks to ultimately hold on.