FOOTBALL
MID GIPPSLAND
Trafalgar secured a remarkable come-from-behind win after trailing Yinnar for most of the day to win by two points, 7.7 (50) to 7.6 (48).
Yinnar key player James Dowling was one of a number out of action, which made the job hard for the Magpies.
The Magpies opened up the match well and made the most of their opportunities in what was a relatively even opening term.
The home side’s accuracy proved the difference at quarter-time with three goals from four shots on target compared to the visitors’ one goal from four attempts.
Yinnar started to control things in the second quarter of the game to lead by 20 points at half-time.
The Bloods never gave up and started to chip away at the lead throughout the third quarter, with a view that they might be in striking distance late in the game.
For Trafalgar, Daniel Puglia, Tyson Leys, Harry Malady, Matthew Swenson, Austin Byrne and Connor Noonan carried their team mates towards a memorable victory.
Trafalgar Coach Clint Einsiedel admitted the win wasn’t pretty but was happy to get the points.
“We hadn’t played well and we were lucky to be in the game,” he said.
“It was 21 forward 50 entries to just three.
“The boys kept calm, they didn’t panic and we just had to be in front at the right time and that’s exactly what happened … we were a bit lucky”
Newborough v Mirboo North
Four wins in a row and a spot in the top five is what greeted the Tigers after their four-point win over Newborough, 9.11 (65) to 9.7 (61).
The reigning premiers got off to a very solid start with seven shots on goal returning three goals and four behinds while the home side struggled to hit the mark with a return of just two behinds.
At half-time the Dogs were down by just eight points and the game was well and truly on.
The Tigers needed to steady and were being led well by Mitchell Wightman, Damian Turner, Darryl Mayman, Julian Blackford, Riley Oddy and Jake Nash to lead Mirboo North to a 10-point lead at the last break.
Michael Gelagotis led the goalkickers again for Newborough and finished with three for the day and was supported by more than a handful of teammates all with individual contributions.
There were eight goalkickers for the visitors and even contribution across the ground was again a major factor for the Tigers as they sealed their fourth win in a row.
Tigers coach Josh Taylor said his side “started brilliantly”.
“We maybe could have been further in front, and to their credit, they went one on one and they had all the momentum in the second quarter,” Taylor said.
“The boys are a mature lot and they make good decisions when the pressure is on.
“A versatile forward line is good for us … the game wasn’t pretty. It was tough, but we got we wanted.”
YYN v Boolarra
The Bombers pulled down the pants of the Demons and gave them a good spanking on Saturday, 30.11 (191) to 0.4 (4).
A rampaging Bombers side, capable of opening sides up in a matter of minutes, did just that against a team that is in the early stages of a complete rebuild.
Unfortunately for the Demons this game was over in the first 25 minutes.
The Bombers’ ball movement was complimented by accuracy and caused all sorts of problems for the visitors at the first break with nine goals to a single behind.
The early signs were also that the Bombers key forward and league leading goalkicker Dean Macdonald was going to have a day to remember.
At half-time, the efforts of Anthony Young, coach Barrie Burnett, Dylan Bath and Josh Keyhoe were being finished off brilliantly by both Macdonald and Keenan Hughes.
Yallourn/Yallourn North were doing what good sides do and extended their margin to an even 100 points at half-time.
Without going into the gory detail of the second half, things didn’t really improve for Boolarra.
Macdonald was among a handful of outstanding contributors for the Bombers and finished with an astounding bag of 15 goals while Hughes grabbed seven of his own.
“We had been getting off to bad starts, so we really wanted a fast start and we did all the things we planned to do, which was great,” Bombers coach Barrie Burnett said.
Morwell East v Yarragon
Yarragon secured a real confidence-boosting win over Morwell East on the weekend, 10.7 (67) to 6.18 (54).
The Panthers had pushed two of the best three sides in the competition to within 10 points over the past month and appeared well placed to grab a much-needed win.
A fast start by the visitors had them leading by 17 points at quarter-time and they believed it was their day.
They maintained the lead with some great work by Jake Cropley, Rhys Gleisner, Devin Pollock, Brad Wolfe, Damon Burns and Mitchell Jolly.
On home turf, the Hawks came out with a sense of urgency in the third quarter but couldn’t’ close the gap.
Their seven shots on goal returned just the one major and Yarragon led by 29 at three-quarter-time.
“It was a nice start to the game and the boys were moving the ball well and the mood during the game was really good,” Yarragon coach Rob Cahill said.
“Late in the game we made some poor decisions, not using all the ground, keeping possession and so on, but our tackling pressure was good late in the game and it was great to see the fight to win.”
Hill End v Thorpdale
Thorpdale did what good sides do and gave no chance to Hill End to win, 16.17 (113) to 6.4 (40).
The Blues assumed control early in Saturday’s match and never looked back.
A 20-point lead at quarter-time quickly blew out to 41 at half-time as the Blues were served by Ed Greene, Chris Redl and Brad Atkinson up forward with the trio kicking 14 of the side’s 16 goals for the day.
“[Hill End] had a lot of shots on goal … we played really well, and to their credit they are giving some younger players a go,” Blues coach Josh Collie said.
“We played pretty well and we had plenty of opportunities in front of goal, but we just couldn’t hit the target, so it is an area we could improve on.”
