It was almost like the night Noah started building his arc, but out on KGV the RSEA Magpies and Tigers put on an absorbing battle of physical, wet weather football to open Round 11 of the TSL.

It was the visitors' night, a three-goal burst in the second term proving the difference between the two sides despite a late charge from Glenorchy that brought the hearty Friday night crowd to life. 

It was also a night where several exciting young Magpies continued to step up as state league players, with Nathan Blowfield, Callum Thompson, Riley Oakley, Isaac Manson and Luke Nicholson all performing strongly.

The numbers told the tale of two evenly matched sides - the Pies winning possession by 5, clearances by 8 and the tackling battle by 21, while Kingborough edged ahead 46-42 on inside 50s, +2 on hard ball gets and +9 on hit-outs to advantage.

The second quarter was crucial, Glenorchy having six shots on goal to the Tigers' five, but the visitors' booting 3.1 to 1.2 to ultimately set up their win.

Tale of the Tape
The most notable stat of the night was the Magpies' 224 pressure acts, with ruckman James Deegan leading the way with 16, and his midfield cohort joining the party as Ben Kamaric and Callen Daly racked up 15 each while Thompson was a tackling machine on his way to 14 as he forced 8 turnovers.

Down back, Darrean Wyatt and Daniel Joseph accumulated 13 pressure acts, with Wyatt swatting away a game-high 9 spoils. Up forward, Adam Roberts and Harrison Gunther both piled on the pressure with 12 apiece.

Thompson's performance was one to take note of, going head-to-head with Tigers captain Lachie Clifford after half-time and showing just why he is such a highly-rated prospect.

'Thommo' kept the classy Clifford to 7 possessions and 1 clearance after interval, while picking up 16 disposals and 9 clearances himself in what can only be described as a dominant half from the 17-year-old. He finished with 26 and 11.

Fellow teenager Nathan Blowfield produced another masterclass in the wet, shutting down numerous Tiger attacks as he tallied 11 pressure acts, forced 8 turnovers and picked off 6 intercept marks.

Veteran 23-year-old Kamaric had his best performance of the year, grabbing 32 possessions, 14 clearances and laying 9 crunching tackles in a two-way performance reminiscent of his brilliant 2019 season.

Oakley produced a quality display in the wet, booting two impressive goals and setting up two more with his poise and skill, while also registering 10 pressure acts.