FOOTBALL

NORTH GIPPSLAND

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

THE gap’s getting wider.

Three teams have shot out of the gate to six wins through the first seven rounds in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League, and it’s been done in quite dominant fashion by all three.

Last year produced the first instance since 2017 that a team that didn’t finish top of the ladder went on to win the premiership – it’s possible that could occur again, with little separating Traralgon-Tyers United, Woodside and Heyfield.

While you could only pinpoint one or two games over the last two weeks that have truly produced some entertaining matchups, the Kangaroos hosting the Wildcats this week should wipe that dry slate clean.

 

Heyfield 14.8 (92) def Glengarry 9.12 (66)

NO easy feat by any stretch.

Glengarry poured in an admirable performance against Heyfield at Fred King Oval, going down by 26 points, 14.8 (92) to 9.12 (66).

A slow start from the Magpies lessened their chances of victory, as this year has proved any side has got to produce four quarters of football to knock off the Kangaroos.

Heyfield knocked in four goals to none in the first quarter, although Glengarry did see opportunities down forward during that period, shots went awry due to the intensity of the occasion and the pressure of their opponent.

A 27 to four lead ballooned out to more than 40 points by the end of the first half relatively quickly.

The Kangaroos booted five of the seven goals in the second term to further push some doubt into the Magpies – who had been competitive and dangerous in most of their games played this season.

Glengarry was coming off a 127-point shellacking of Gormandale the previous week.

While second-year Magpies coach, Alex Birmingham would have expected a better output to start (at home nonetheless), his troops returned in different form.

The Kangaroos bombed the first major of the second half almost instantaneously. Glengarry then flipped the switch with four of the next five goals to bring the margin under 30 points.

However, Heyfield know what they’re doing, and took the sting out of the contest during a dangerous period to protect their lead.

Momentum began to even itself out with scoring dropping in the final term.

The Magpies outscored their opponents the rest of the way home, but the much more mature Kangaroos managed to supplement Glengarry’s attack when it mattered most.

Heyfield has shown an ability unseen from them in recent years – to withstand runs and overcome them tenfold once its happened.

Brayden Woodland collected the three votes for Heyfield, followed by Kyle Graham (six goals), Max Van Der Zwart, Dylan Patmore, Robert McMillan and Kodie Woodland.

Ewan Williams continues to be a stable force for Glengarry, followed by Luke Healy, Callum Mitchell, Seth Healy (two goals), Michael Ryan and Jack Burgess (two).

While no one, including the club itself, is wanting to get too far ahead of themselves, the Kangaroos haven’t got out to a 6-0 win-loss start in over a decade.

 

TTU 16.15 (111) def YYN 4.8 (32)

SEEING those Bombers fly up, up.

Also running out of the gate for six straight wins, TTU has shown nothing to doubters that they’ll be back at the pointy end of the season, this time with a 79-point dismantling of rivals Yallourn Yallourn North at Tyers Recreation Reserve.

TTU has turned its home deck into a fortress over the course of the last three seasons, having only lost once (Round 1, 2024 to Woodside).

Coming off a handful of comfortable weeks, wins of 50-plus points in the previous four games, a matchup against the Jets was expected by many, including the Bombers, to be a different task entirely.

That was proved to be incorrect on the day, with TTU tearing apart YYN at every area of the ground, giving them little room to show signs – which produced a 5.4 (34) to 0.2 (2) quarter time score the way of the Bombers.

While the Jets found it difficult to transition down the field, especially out of the backline with the ball down TTU’s attacking area for the majority of the first half, the Bombers were slick with their ball movement whether it be via hand or foot.

It was a stalemate second quarter with two goals apiece, but it was clear that YYN would have to jump several more gears if they were to ever give themselves a chance going forward on the day.

Having said that, the halftime margin was still achievable at 35 points: 7.7 (49) to 2.2 (14).

In return, it still wasn’t to be for the Jets, even despite seeing more opportunities in their forward 50.

While YYN couldn’t grapple the ball in front of goal, TTU on the other end seemed to have glue on their mitts once they received the ball at the opposite end.

It was a four goal to none third quarter the way of the Bombers, and five to two in the final term.

Hayden Willaton was best for TTU with three goals, followed by Jye Nielson, Michael Jacobsen, Liam Michie, William Curtain and Zach Kilgower.

Riley Byrne, Jai Massese, Bailey Brown, Anthony Young, Lucas Fry and Elliott De Carli performed admirably for the Jets.

While TTU return to an easier stage facing Gormandale away, the Jets return home to play Rosedale (which a few weeks ago, might have seemed easier than now).

 

Yarram 10.17 (77) def Churchill 10.7 (67)

ONE quarter was almost enough.

Fourth quarter heroics from Churchill almost gave them their second win on the year, but Yarram sustained on home turf to come out on top by 10 points, 10.17 (77) to 10.7 (67).

Travelling to Yarram Recreation Reserve, it was always going to be tough task for the battling Cougars, but nothing was out of the realm of possibility.

The Demons banged on many scoring shots in the first term, however not entirely accurately, but still ahead 5.5 (35) to 2.2 (14).

Yarram seemed to just be that itch better across the middle two quarters, booting five goals during that period to just two, giving them a 45-point lead with a quarter spare.

Suddenly though, it was a completely different opponent who arrived into town.

The Cougars poured in a six-goal final term to storm back to within two goals, while the Demons managed just three behinds.

Fortunately for the home side, time was in their corner and Yarram snuck by for their third victory of the season.

Ben Mattern was best afield for the winners, followed by Griffin Underwood, Dylan Garnham, Kelly Griffiths, Liam Bentley and Kiefer Sutherland.

Bradley Brereton, Blake Whykes, Jye Williams, Joe Whykes, Mackenzie Blewett (on permit from Morwell), and Calen Hill all performed solidly for Churchill.

 

Rosedale 11.9 (75) def Sale City 6.9 (45)

BACK in the Blue picture.

After not singing the song the first three weeks of the season, Rosedale has answered the call, winning their last three games, including at the weekend against Sale City, 11.9 (75) to 6.9 (45).

Out at Rosedale Recreational Reserve, the travelling Bulldogs were jumped out of the gates early with vigour, mounting scoreboard pressure (but not ceasing on all of their opportunities in front of goal) to lead by four points at quarter time.

The second term produced flowing and back-and-forth football with each side essentially going goal-for-goal.

The Blues managed to reverse the first quarter deficit precisely to lead at halftime ever so slightly.

From there on out, it was all Rosedale.

Knowing what was at stake in a more than winnable occasion, the Blues kicked 5.4 (34) in the second half to run by Sale City’s 1.2 (8) to leapfrog the Bulldogs into the top four thanks to Sale City’s odd position after splitting points with Gormandale in Round 1.

Declan Barnett starred in the victory, followed by Luke Stuckey, Blake Safstrom, Jay Diamond, Spencer Fox (three goals) and Rohan Diamond.

Kaden McCulloch, Daine McGuinness, Tom Bowman, Jaxsyn Whitehill, Lachlan Carman and Brodie Johnson were standouts in defeat for the Bulldogs.

After returning to finals after a blank period last season, Sale City really need to assert themselves the next few weeks to keep above the teams hovering around that fifth spot on the ladder.

 

Woodside 25.17 (167) def Gormandale 5.2 (32)

WHAT’S more to say? Woodside are a handful.

The Wildcats were simply too much for Gormandale, especially on their home turf, winning 25.17 (167) to 5.2 (32).

While some may have even predicted an even worse blowout, the Tigers showed life against the reigning premier.

Having said that, Woodside still trampled them in scoring pressure alone – with 12 scoring shots to one after quarter time and 18 to four at halftime.

Gormandale was kicking straight with their limited opportunities inside attack, but they still faced a 39-point deficit, which was not at all their worst at the end of two quarters during the season.

In returning after the main break, the Wildcats knew they themselves still needed to go up a level, and so they did with eight goals to just one behind in the third term to push their lead out to 91 points.

That same scoring load was repeated in the final term, while the Tigers tacked on one final major before the siren sounded.

Jeremy Morgan, Michael O’Sullivan (nine goals), Josh Morgan, Ashton Janssen, Cooper Earles and Adam Janssen were standouts for Woodside.

Blake Hearn, Jarvis Kirk, Riley Hughes, Nicholas Millington, Flynn Roscoe and Malachi Dillon tried their best for Gormandale.

 

COWWARR had the bye.