TOM HAYES
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By TOM HAYES
FOR the first time in three weeks, there wasn’t a margin that hit three figures in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League.
Only four fixtures went ahead in Round 5, as three teams had the week off due to the bye.
TRARALGON Tyers United remain on top of the ladder, thanks to a 47-point win over Heyfield at Gordon Street Reserve.
TTU were out of the blocks quickly, kicking four first-quarter goals to one, taking a 22-point lead at the first change.
The visitors were held to just one goal in the second and third quarters, while Heyfield found their feet, kicking four goals straight in the middle quarters.
The seesawing affair could’ve gone either way leading into the final term, the margin was dragged back to just nine points.
A five-goal final quarter from the Bombers was enough to restore an unreachable lead, as they kept the Roos scoreless in the final term to walk away 47-point winners, 10.17 (77) to 5.0 (30).
Kade Duncan, Trent Hourigan, Michael Jacobsen, Liam Willaton, Ricky Cochrane and Brad Kelleher stood out for the winning side, while Tyler Mustoe and Hayden Willaton kicked two majors each.
For Heyfield, Liam Heasley, James Conway, Robert McMillan, Brayden Woodland, Max Van Der Zwart and Bailey Escreet were within the best.
YARRAM scored back-to-back wins when they welcomed Cowwarr to Yarram Recreation Reserve.
The Demons were undoubtedly superior in the first half, kicking 6.4 (40) to 3.7 (25).
The third term switched things up, as Cowwarr was able to get a grip on the game, coming within a kick of the Demons by three-quarter-time, kicking four goals to two.
But Yarram was simply too good in the end, kicking 4.4 (28) to nothing in the last term to complete the 34-point win, 12.14 (86) to 7.10 (52).
Griffin Underwood was best on ground, complimented by Matt Clavarino, Kelly Griffiths, Daniel O’Keefe, Liam Bentley and Jake McFarland in the winners circle.
For the luckless visitors, Kyle Stamers, Ben Coffey, Cody Brown, Mathew Leicester, Siaosi Lay Blake and River O’Brien were in the best.
Yarram now sit within a win from the top three, two wins from TTU on top of the ladder.
SALE CITY was no match for the Wildcats, when they visited Woodside Recreation Reserve.
Woodside consistently piled the goals onto the scoreboard, doing so while keeping their opponents out of the match.
A six-goal to one first term set the two teams apart, as that soon turned into a 55-point lead at halftime.
A five-goal quarter keep the buffer intact, despite Sale City kicking three for themselves.
The Wildcats finished with conviction, surpassing triple figures and never looking back, completing an 81-point demolition of the Bulldogs, 20.11 (131) to 7.8 (50).
Woodside appear to be one of the stronger sides this season, in terms of being able to put teams away.
If this trend continues, there is every chance that we see Woodside go deep into the finals picture.
Michael O’Sullivan and Daniel Farmer had a day out once again, kicking six and five goals respectively.
Farmer leads the league in goals this season so far, with 25 from five games.
O’Sullivan was best on ground. Michael Stockdale, Jai Williams, Lee Stockdale, Thomas Mann and Joshua Kennedy were also stand-outs for the Wildcats.
As for Sale City, Harry Kaandorp, Brayden Macgregor-Davies, Kaden McCulloch, Matthew Walker, Mitchell Evans and Troy Carstairs were their best players on the day.
YALLOURN Yallourn North’s record is positive for the first time this season, after a 74-point win over Glengarry on their home deck.
The game was all but over with one change to go, after the Jets went from 24 points ahead at quarter time, to 43 points up at the half, to 66 points up at the final change.
Things were getting away from Glengarry, a team who has shown resilience all season so far.
The final term was the best for the home side, scoring 3.1 (19), doubling their score (and some).
But they still managed to lose the quarter, as the Jets kicked 4.3 (27) to establish a 74-point margin once the final siren rang to signal a 16.14 (110) to 5.6 (36) YYN victory.
Dean Macdonald was prolific in front of the big sticks, kicking eight goals, taking his tally to 24 for the season, one behind Woodside’s Farmer.
Macdonald was among the best for YYN, alongside Campbell MacInnes, Rohan Reid, Darcy Shellcot, Dylan Bentley and Riley Byrne.
For the home side, Seth Healy, Callum Mitchell, Lachlan Jewell, Beau Hutton, Jack Burgess and Michael Ryan stood out.
After their 0-2 start, YYN have now begun to look more like a reigning premier, with back-to-back-to-back wins.
All of a sudden they are back within the finals picture, but did they really leave the picture?
The Jets’ match against Churchill this weekend is looming as compulsive viewing between two teams in most pundit’s premiership calculations.
The Cougars will be fresh coming off a bye, but will need to overcome Yallourn Yallourn North on their home deck, a venue that has colloquially become known as ‘the Colosseum in recent years by some North Gippsland FNL followers.
CHURCHILL joined Gormandale and Rosedale as teams that had the bye.
Round 6 Preview
FIVE games will be back in action for Round 6 of the North Gippsland Football-Netball League, after only four were played last week.
We should be in for a treat this weekend, with a good number of teams going up against their equals.
THE most exciting of them all is surely Yallourn Yallourn North versus Churchill at George Bats Reserve.
The Cougars are undefeated this season, but they could meet their match against a resurging YYN outfit.
Expect fireworks as both teams still have plenty to prove in 2023.
In attack, both teams hold firepower. Will anyone at Churchill be able to stop YYN’s Dean Macdonald, and how will YYN stop the twin towers of Chris Wangman and Ben Kearns?
We will soon find out if any of these questions can be answered.
Last season, the Cougars got the better of the Jets in their first meeting by 13 points, but YYN got the chocolates at home in the reverse fixture by 41 points.
There is one thing we know for sure, there will no quit from either team in this one.
COWWARR and Rosedale will do battle at Cowwarr Recreational Reserve.
Either side will look for their second win of the season.
This game is poised as an important one, as the winner will be able to hold onto the tail of the finals positions.
Cowwarr, who finished second last in 2022, have clearly looked a better outfit, while Rosedale still have plenty to prove this season.
Just like YYN versus Churchill, there is a lot on the line here, and no side is going to bow down easy.
GORMANDALE host Heyfield.
The young Tigers are searching for their first win of the season, and are sure to learn a few things as the season progresses, and a win is definitely not completely off the cards.
Heyfield have proved to be strong in past weeks, staying in games against strong competition, avoiding a hammering when it was a possibility.
Gormy will have to be at their absolute best, as any winning team would need to be, to have a chance at their first four points.
However, a Heyfield win would separate the Kangaroos from the bottom of the ladder.
SALE CITY are another team to impress this year, but they will be tested when they host Yarram at Stephenson Park.
The Demons recorded back-to-back wins in Rounds 4 and 5, and will be searching for their third consecutive win this weekend.
Up until last week, Sale City sat inside the top five, but the expected top five has now been realised in the flesh.
If they want a chance at upsetting the norm, they must make another upset of their own this weekend.
Yarram will go in as favourites and deservedly so, they should get the job done and begin to seal their finals spot.
FINALLY, Traralgon Tyers United host Glengarry, in what is the easiest game to tip this week, barring no upsets.
TTU are the only team to sit 5-0, comfortably on the top of the league, boasting a huge percentage of 278.47.
Glengarry, oppositely, are yet to win a game and sit 0-4 to start the season, and it doesn’t get any easier for them this week.
Glengarry has conceded more than 100 points in two games against current top five teams this season, while only just scoring a combined 104 points in those two games (68 and 36).
I think it’s fair to say that TTU are expected to get the job done, and incredibly, move to 6-0, setting up a potential top of the table clash against Churchill the following week.
