With the Kookaburras for the first time on a road trip but still within the state Georgia, a visit 80 minutes Nth West of Atlanta to take on the new Rome Redbacks for their first home game ever, was something very new.

The Redbacks although still small were able to present a great group of players eager to put the Kookaburras to the test in a rather humid and hot afternoon of Australian Rules Football in the river city.

Up forward Tom Gultom was too experienced for his Rome opponent and led him on merry chase posting a personal record 8 individual goals for the day. Jon 'Rosey' Rosenfield also enjoyed the open spaces and freedom to move around, kicking 6 goals himself, also a personal record.

The Rome team battled hard and certainly the Redbacks were very competitive at stoppages with their ruckman Stephen Taylor giving the Kookaburras Kyler Johnson some headaches. First year player Seth Stokes however made sure any advantage was short lived as he gathered many mid field possessions for the visiting Atlanta team.

Over the 4 x 20 minute quarters however the Kookaburras were too consistent and too skilled for the Rome team and ran out easy winners by 98 points. After the game the players and friends retreated to the River Dog Outpost a great summer Tiki style bar between the rivers downtown, for the first of many post game socials in the historic river town of Rome Georgia.

Atlanta 23.18.156
Rome 8.10.58

Best: Seth Stokes, Ryan Downey, Tom Gultom, John Rosenfield, Braden Medders.

Goals: Gultom 8, Rosenfield 6, Stokes 4, Downey 3, Schoppe 1, Johnson 1.