TOM HAYES
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By TOM HAYES
WINNERS were those of great proportion at the weekend during Round 8 of the North Gippsland Football-Netball League.
One side got payback in the rematch of last year’s decider, while a new team entered the finals race by leaping over the reigning premier.
TRARALGON Tyers United are miles ahead of the competition.
They continued their undefeated start to the season by overcoming the despair of last season to defeat Yallourn Yallourn North.
Like they have done so many times this season, TTU created an early buffer and made sure their opponent couldn’t make their way back into the contest.
A 4.3 (27) to 1.0 (6) first term gave them that buffer, before consistently going on their way to an eighth straight win. ‘
They extended the lead at halftime and three quarter time, going into the final quarter with a 25 point lead.
YYN weren’t done with yet, but didn’t have the firepower to claw back the entire margin, falling 17 points short, 10.14 (74) to 8.9 (57).
Captain Jye Neilson led from the front with three majors, but in the best for TTU was Liam Willaton, Michael Jacobsen, Liam Michie, Thomas Fleming, Rickey Cochrane and Zach Kilgower.
In a valiant effort, YYN’s standout players were Campbell MacInnes, Dylan Bath, Cambell Staff, Lachlan Little, Dylan Bentley and Jai Massese upon his return from a knee injury.
TTU remain two games clear of Woodside and Churchill, who hold 6-1 records.
It was another Grand Final rematch in the twos, in which YYN also defeated the reigning premier by 40 points.
SALE CITY hosted Heyfield in the annual AGL Pride Cup.
Funnily enough it was Heyfield’s second game in Sale in as many weeks, after their Round 7 fixture against Cowwarr was moved there, when they played at the home of the Gippsland League’s Sale Magpies.
Sale City celebrated Jamie Campbell’s 250th senior game on the day.
Campbell is the current twos coach and was club captain during their 2012 and 2016 premiership winning sides.
Maybe Heyfield has a liking to Sale, because the away ground disadvantage didn’t prove to be too costly.
Heyfield doubled Sale City’s score in the opening term, before kicking 3.1 (19) to 0.5 (5), to extend their lead to 23 points at the main change.
Sale City didn’t make it easy to run away with in the third quarter, cutting the margin back to 20 points with a quarter to play.
The final term was free flowing, as 10 goals were scored between the two sides, but it was Heyfield that kicked seven of those.
By the time of the siren, Heyfield held a 50-point lead, 14.17 (101) to 7.9 (51).
The win moves them into fifth and ahead of YYN, not only on points, but also percentage.
Heyfield are also only now six per cent behind fourth-placed Yarram.
For the home side, Lachlan Carman, Kaden McCulloch, Matthew Walker, Jai Nelson, Blake Safstrom and Troy Carstairs were impressive in defeat.
For the Roos, Kodie and Brayden Woodland, Kail Hole, Robert McMillan, Tyson Graham and Thomas Marchesi were in the best, while Mitchell Steven led in attack with four goals.
Sale City walked away with the Pride Cup at the end of the day, with their netballers able to get them over the line after Heyfield won every football grade.
GLENGARRY has now won two on the trot.
The Pies travelled down to Cowwarr after beating Gormandale at home the week before, and proved their resilience.
Throughout the year, Glengarry hasn’t been as fortunate when it comes to wins, and I feel the ladder doesn’t truly reflect their season.
But, I think this win does.
Cowwarr got the jump on Glengarry, kicking six goals in the first term to establish a 34-point margin.
They then held that lead up until halftime, despite it being dragged back to 23 points.
Glengarry looked a completely different side in the second half, as they proved just how good they can be.
The Magpies kicked 12 goals to four in the second half, starting with 5.6 (36) to nothing in the third term, taking the lead by 13 points going into the final break.
They flipped the game on its head, kicking seven goals to four in the final term, to walk away 30-point winners, improving their record to 2-5.
Glengarry jump two spots up the ladder, leaping over Rosedale as the Saints fell into eighth place.
In the comeback win, Jack Burgess, Lachlan Martin, Lachlan Patterson, Lachlan Jewell, Alex Birmingham and Spencer Poulton were in fine form.
Jake Brown, Nick Twomey, Jordan Anderson, James Chalmers, Brady Hood and Lee Bourke were prominent for the home side despite the loss.
CHURCHILL was back to their best with a rampant win on the road.
Travelling to the Boneyard, Churchill made sure they would get back on the winners’ list, after suffering their first loss of the season to TTU last week.
Since 2018, Churchill and Gormandale has battled it out for the Ken Rohde Perpetual Memorial Cup, remembering ‘Bubbles’ – a prominent figure at each club serving as a player and president.
For the Cougars, they unveiled a new debutant, Andrew Rooney who played across half back in his first seniors gig.
Churchill piled on around 50 points per quarter, while Gormandale did enough to keep their scoreboard ticking in each quarter.
A 41-point quarter time lead turned into a 98-point one at the halftime break, thanks to 18 goals in the opening half from the visitors.
Eight more were added in the third term, extending the lead out to 147 points, before a quieter final term put the game to bed.
The Cougars left with a haul of 50 scoring shots, on their way to winning by 169 points, 31.19 (205) to 5.6 (36).
Chris Williams returned to the side in style with seven goals, he was in the best with Ryan Lowrie, Jarrod Henderson, Billy Wight, Bailey Flanigan and Tyson Leys – who kicked five himself.
For the home side, Tristan Salerno, William Flanagan, Trent Baldwin, Flynn Roscoe, Isaac Copland and Hayden Richards were standouts.
WOODSIDE made light work of Rosedale.
The Blues welcomed three debutants into the side for their road trip match; Sam Callahan, Charlie Pritchett and Ned Heathcote.
Despite a slower-than-usual start, the Wildcats did the brunt of the damage in the second and third quarters, before easing in the last.
It was just a four-goal margin at the first break, but Woodside kept Rosedale quiet in the second term, kicking 10.7 (67) to four behinds to register an 87-point margin.
Rosedale kicked their first major in the third term, but Woodside kicked another 8.3 (51) to take the lead past three figures.
The Wildcats kicked the only two goals of the final quarter to claim another percentage-boosting win, 24.14 (158) to 1.7 (13).
Woodside hold onto second on the ladder, now boasting a percentage of 318.66, nearly 70 per cent more than league leaders, TTU.
For the winning side, Michael O’Sullivan, Thomas Mann, Matt Dyke, Daniel Farmer, Joshua Kennedy and Jai Williams made the best.
Declan Barnett, Will Logan, Thomas Northe, Joel Bristow, Luke Stuckey and Heathcote on debut were bold in defeat.
YARRAM had the bye.
