SCOTT BERECHREE
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By SCOTT BERECHREE
IN a weekend that saw four of the top five sides play each other it seems odd that the biggest talking point seemingly occurred in the game that pitted two sides with a win apiece against each other.
But that’s how it was in the aftermath of a fascinating Round 7 of North Gippsland Football-Netball League action.
HEYFIELD entered their clash with Gormandale as hot favourites.
The Kangaroos were coming off their first win of the year and Gormandale was besieged by injury and unavailability.
But few if any would have foreseen what took place over the next four quarters of play.
Heyfield got back to their ruthless,
unrelenting best and after kicking 7.7 (49) to no score in the first quarter the contest was over.
What unfolded from there was the stuff of nightmares for the Tigers – the Kangaroos kicked 10, eight and then five majors across the next three quarters to run away winners 35.25 (205) to no score.
Jesse Bedggood was irrepressible in front of the big sticks slamming home 10, with six other players kicking multiple goals with a staggering dozen Kangaroos all ending up kicking goals.
The shining light for Gormandale was again Kodie Owen who has been enormous so far this season, registering no less than five best on ground performances from his six outings.
First season coach Chris Potalej and club president Daniel Earl will have a job ahead of them this week keeping the players as upbeat as possible.
These two however have seen plenty of adversity over the years at Gormandale and are the right two blokes to get the job done.
The challenge here is for the players to throw their support behind the club leaders and show that Saturday was an aberration that won’t be accepted or repeated this year.
With Rosedale awaiting them this week and Yarram the week after it is important to build some momentum on and off the park as the club heads into its big clash with Glengarry on June 18 when Jarryd Roughead and many of the Tigers’ better players are likely to return.
For Heyfield, it will be a case of repeating the effort in the coming weeks and building some confidence coming into a tough run of games that sees them take on Churchill, Traralgon Tyers United and Yallourn Yallourn North after they head to Cowwarr this week in a game they would now surely be expected to win.
THE clash between Woodside and Churchill promised to be a ripping contest, with an undermanned Churchill making the trek to Wildcat territory with the home side coming off a near 100-point win.
If the game wasn’t over by quarter-time when the visitors led 28 points to one behind it surely was at the main break when Churchill headed to the away rooms leading 9.6 (60) to 2.2 (14).
Even with the game almost beyond dispute the contest only got hotter with several spot fires breaking out across the field.
Three players were given their marching orders and a Churchill player whisked away to hospital with suspected broken ribs following a heavy clash which saw the umpire pull out the pen and paper.
While all this was going on the ever green Brendan Holt was slotting goal after goal, finishing with five, while on-ball weapon Jake Roe-Duggan hit the scoreboard for the second week in a row finishing with three majors.
For Woodside, only Ryan Foat managed multiple goals in what was an ordinary day for the home side.
Things get no easier for the Wildcats, who now face TTU and YYN in a tough fortnight that could well define their season.
THE other game involving top four sides saw a much closer match-up with YYN taking all four quarters to get the better of a persistent TTU outfit.
After kicking five goals to three to open the contest the home side Jets’ looked to have things on their terms.
TTU had other ideas however and after limiting the Jets to only two points in the second term things were as good as even when both sides headed for the sheds at the long break.
The third quarter was an arm wrestle that saw both sides add a pair of majors to their scores, setting up an epic finish with YYN leading by just three points at the final change. When Keenan Hughes kicked his fourth of the game the Jets led by just over a goal and that’s where the margin stayed with the home side eking out a hard-fought seven-point win, 9.7 (61) to 8.6 (54).
Campbell MacInnes, Dylan Bentley and Jai Massese were listed as better players for the winners.
For TTU, it was midfield bull Mitch Mustoe and Liam Willaton, one of two multiple goal kickers for the Bombers, noted as better players.
If their victory over Churchill didn’t tell the league then this hard-fought loss to the ladder leaders certainly did – TTU is the real deal.
SALE City, bolstered by the return of Bohdi Walker, dismantled Cowwarr in a dominant four quarter performance at home.
Jack Kirkham and Walker slotted four each for the winners, who increased their lead in every quarter and ultimately got the victory by 112 points, 21.10 (136) to 3.6 (24).
Blake Safstrom, Josh Tollner and Ben Brett were among the best for the winners while for the Saints it was Ben Coffey, Shane Morgan and Nick Wozniak listed as best.
THE final clash of the round opened with a bang.
Glengarry on the road to Rosedale slotted five goals straight in the first quarter. Generally this would see the visiting side run into the quarter time huddle full of enthusiasm, however in this instance the Magpies actually trailed by 18 points as the siren sounded.
Rosedale had managed 13 scores and slotted 7.6 (48).
While the scoring continued for both sides in a free flowing contest, sadly for the visiting Magpies so too did the scoring ratio and the home side ran away 40-point winners 18.15 (123) to 13.5 (83).
Midfield jet Rohan Diamond had a day out slotting seven goals with Thomas Northe helping himself to five in a best on ground effort for the Blues.
For Glengarry, it was Jackson Hall and Spencer Poulton with four goals each that led the way. Hall was joined by Jack Burgess and Paul Henry as the best three on the ground for the Magpies.
YARRAM had the bye.
