FOOTBALL

MID GIPPSLAND

By MITCH BERECHREE

 

 

THE ladder again proved the best predictor of results in Round 17 of the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League.

All teams positioned highest won their clashes.

Results solidified spots at the top end, while leaving the door ajar for any of four sides still in the fight for the last two finals positions heading into the last round.

Yinnar was the big winners of the round, taking Hill End to the cleaners, while Tarwin also registered a near-on three figure win over Toora.

Meeniyan Dumbalk United saluted in the battle of the Demons against Boolarra.

Thorpdale held on over a fast-finishing Newborough, and Mirboo North and Stony Creek went into the last term with just a point between them before a three goal to one final quarter saw Mirboo North come away with the points.

 

 

Thorpdale v Newborough

LOOKING to have the game, and a finals berth, wrapped up at the long break, Thorpdale had to survive a huge scare from a fast-finishing Newborough.

The Blues clung on to win 12.12 (84) to 11.9 (75) at home.

A wasteful Newborough took nearly 20 minutes to open its goal kicking account. By this stage, the home side had already managed three and felt on their way.

The late Doggies goal though sent them to the huddle with a little more pep in their step than they otherwise might have had, and hopes were high for a competitive second quarter.

Sadly for the tricolours, the second term is exactly where the game was won and lost.

Thorpdale went on a tear, slamming home five of the finest while the wayward Bulldogs could only add four points to their tally.

The 41-point margin was surely adequate and the ‘Dales could start planning for their first final, right?

Wrong!

The very same Dogs who couldn’t find the big sticks in the first half piled on eight majors in the premiership quarter, and in the twinkling of an eye they headed to the last break full of confidence, full of momentum and only 11 points in arrears.

It was game on and despite trailing, many at the ground were confident of a Bulldogs win.

Alas the last quarter turned into an arm wrestle, with only three goals kicked.

But with Thorpdale getting plenty of the ball forward, managed to get five behinds to go with a solitary goal to hold on for a nine point win.

The win sees Thorpdale guaranteed a finals berth and leaves the Bulldogs as part of a group of four fighting it out for a slice of postseason action.

Jordy and Jesse Patullo joined ruckman Gavin Low as the three best on the park for Thorpdale. Matt Powell slotted three for the winners, with all of Trav Pattern, Jesse Patullo and Anthony Rosato booting two.

For Newborough, Josh Pearce managed four goals, with Matt Rowlings and Nathan Wheildon kicking two each. Wheildon was joined by Matt Heywood and Pat Charles as the best trio for the Bulldogs.

 

 

Stony Creek v Mirboo North

WITH nothing separating the sides at the main break and just a point in it at the final change of ends, Mirboo North prevailed in a cracking contest 9.7 (61) to 7.6 (48) over Stony Creek.

The visitors hit the ground running with the first two majors of the day and were lively early.

Stony Creek’s solitary goal of the quarter was countered almost immediately and the Tigers had the lead by 13 points at the first change.

When they kicked the first two of the second term, alarm bells were ringing for the locals as they trailed by nigh on five goals just five minutes into the second.

But the home side simply wasn’t copping it, and went on a four goal streak themselves to end the half and see the scores locked at 5.4 (34) each.

The third term was a battle, with the visitors managing an additional point to their hosts and that was the difference between the two sides at the last break.

Let’s permit Stony Creek coach, Troy Shepherdson, to summarise what happened from here.

“At the final change Mirboo held a one point lead. We were hoping we would run over the top of them with no bench left, but Damo (Mirboo North coach Damien Turner) as he does, he inspired his boys to dig deep and they came away with the choccies.”

Indeed, Turner too was complimentary toward his opponent after the game.

“Stony Creek made us earn every possession in a game that ebbed and flowed all afternoon,” he said.

“Ninth versus 10th turned into a great game of footy! It had a bit of everything; the contest was certainly worth a look!

“Hud Kerr was in everything, well supported by Jesse Chila, while Jesse Rawlings continues to impress with his aerial and ruckwork around the ground.”

For Stony Creek, it was again the Stone’s, Cameron and Tom, doing their best work along with Jacob Strickland.

In terms of goal kickers, Nick Svenson was the only multiple goal scorer with two, while five others had singles.

 

 

MDU v Boolarra

THE battle of the demons was certainly a game of two halves.

With just a point between the sides at the long break, MDU ran away comfortable winners 15.11 (101) to 7.7 (49) to keep its finals hopes alive.

After levelling the scores with the first behind of the third term, MDU went on to have the next eight scoring shots. Were it not for inaccuracy or a late Joel Mason goal to Boolarra, the game would have been done at the last break.

As it was though, the Boolarra boys trailed by 22 points and were still some sort of hope.

That hope was gone not long after however, as MDU went on a run of six goals to end the game.

On the second half, visiting MDU coach Rhett Kelly said “At halftime we made a few adjustments, and I thought the boys response was really positive”.

“We came out in the third quarter and really started to get on top. Our defensive effort had much more purpose, and once we were able to win the ball back, we did a really good job of getting it forward and playing on our terms.

“The third and fourth quarters were a really strong response from the group, and hopefully we can take some of that momentum and confidence into this week’s game (against Fish Creek).”

On the second term, where Boolarra seemed to dominate, Kelly offered up the following. “We allowed Boolarra to play their way into the game. They really started to push us. We had a bit of a lapse defensively, and they were able to capitalise, hitting the scoreboard a few times and putting some pressure back on us,” he said.

Outgoing Boolarra coach Brendan Mason said that he was “really happy with our effort today”.

“Up at halftime but got beaten in some patches where MDU were just too good for us,” he said.

“They would have kicked four or five goals going coast-to-coast. (Trent) McRae was damaging for them with four goals while (Jamie) Yule was classy all day.”

Yule, Jarvis Tracy and McRae were named best for the winners. Sam Wilson slotted three, with Archie Casey, Tim Harris and Brayden Sellings managing two each.

Boolarra had just the one multiple goal kicker, with Matt Dyer booting two, while Tom Beamish joined his captains, coach and Tim Potter in kicking one each.

Will Flanagan was best-on-ground for the defeated Demons. Josh Wilson joined his captains and coach among the best six for Boolarra.

 

 

Tarwin v Toora

TARWIN were big winners over Toora in a game they needed to win and increase their percentage in.

Boy did the Sharks tick those boxes.

They kept Toora to a single goal and ran out 98 point winners 16.13 (108) to 1.5 (11).

The tone was set early for the win with a five goal to none opening term at Shark Park.

Brodie Senior-Gibson slotted the games first two majors. He was joined by Toby Mahoney, Rem Dal pozzo and best-on-ground Jordan Bertacco as goal kickers, while the miserly Tarwin defence, again led stoically by Ricky O’Loughlin, restricted the visiting Magpies to just two points.

The second quarter was more the same.

Ben Ellen and Kyle Yann dominated in the middle, yet Tarwin was wasteful, booting seven behinds to go with four goals from a raft of inside 50 entries.

Mahoney, Dal pozzo and Senior-Gibson were again among the goals, with debutant Hudson Guymer sending the crowd and teammates alike into raptures as he slotted his first ever senior goal.

The second half of this clash mirrored the first, with the exception of Toora saving face by kicking its only goal of the day in the last term when Sam Bright raised the dual calico’s.

Lachi and Sam Smart joined Josh Halsall as better players for Toora, who finished their senior footy season on Saturday.

While not the season farewell they’d have been after, anyone who follows their terrific social media accounts will know they still had plenty of fun on a Saturday night. And probably Sunday too.

For Tarwin, who have at least one more week to go, with finals still a real chance, Bertacco, Ellen and Dal pozzo were named best. Dal pozzo also headed the goal kickers with four, while Senior-Gibson had three along with Mahoney.

An upbeat Tarwin coach, Lachie Jones, said of the game “Our biggest win of the season and I was very pleased with how we applied ourselves”.

“Our midfield were led by Ellen and Bertacco who really worked hard all game. Brodie Senior-Gibson was our best forward for the match.

“We had our fourth debutant for the year in Hudson Guymer, who played well and kicked a goal in the second quarter which really kept our energy up.

“Credit to Jake (Toora coach Jake Smart) and the Toora boys, they didn’t give up all game despite the margin”.

FISH Creek, Foster and Morwell East had the bye.