TOM HAYES
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By TOM HAYES
The race for finals is still not over.
It could well be over for some, but the teams in the mix still have some shuffling to do in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League.
Although, a couple of teams outside the top five are mathematically a chance to make finals, it appears unlikely that an outsider can make it from here.
However, within the top five, plenty of movement is still on the cards, so much so that double-chance positions could be on offer in the final round.
Heyfield are the real deal.
After witnessing first-hand of what such a young side was capable of, I think it’s fair to say they could cause some problems in the coming months.
The Kangaroos walked off Gaskin Park at the weekend, and it just about started from the get-go.
Heyfield opened the account with a four-goal to two first term, taking a two-goal lead into the first break.
Kangaroos playing coach Leigh Brown was already getting his mitts to the football, clunking marks from 15 metres out and converting.
The goals flowed in the second term, as 13 majors were kicked as some freer-flowing football made an appearance.
However, it went from bad to worse for the home side, as the visitor’s piled on nine of those 13, including a streak of five goals in 10 minutes, to hold a 43-point halftime lead.
It was obvious that Churchill put defensive measures into play in the second half, turning things around, but not all of the way.
The third term was highlighted by a freak leap from Heyfield youngster Asher Eastham, who climbed over a Churchill defender and one of his teammates to bring down a huge specky.
The young gun has played eight games for Gippsland Power this season, kicking nine goals, while for Heyfield’s senior side, he has kicked 10 goals from six games.
The margin still hung out at 40 points with 30 minutes to play. Although belief was still there for the Cougars, the game was just out of reach.
After another enticing quarter of wet weather footy, which saw 5.2 (32) to either side, the final siren rang, and with that Heyfield were victorious again, 20.7 (127) to 13.9 (87).
Brown finished with seven goals for the visitor’s, while Eastham kicked three, Chris Wangman led the way for Churchill with four of his own.
Kail Hole, Mitch Bennett, Brayden Woodland, Robert McMillan, Eastham and Tyson Birss were outstanding for the Kangaroos.
While for Churchill, Bailey Flanigan was a stand-out performer, as was coach Jordan Fenech, Patrick Kearns, the returning Chris Kyriacou, Ryan Lowrie and Kurt Holt.
Heyfield now face two top five sides in Yallourn Yallourn North and Traralgon Tyers United, before finishing the season against Gormandale and Cowwarr.
As for Churchill, finishing fifth is still on the cards, with Glengarry to come before a bye, and in the final two rounds they face YYN and TTU – there are easier runs home out there.
The Jets are coming.
Remember at the start of the season when YYN sat with a record of 3-3?
Well I don’t think they’ll be complaining about where they are now.
The Jets are now just a win behind Churchill in third, which grants a double-chance berth.
YYN have won two on the trot, this time defeating Rosedale to the tune of 115 points.
Perhaps the Jets are tuning in at the right time of the season, and as long as you make finals, anything can happen.
After taking a 10-point lead into quarter time, the flood gates burst open in the remaining three.
Everything began with an eight-goal to two second term, which burst their lead out to 49 points, and pretty much out of the realms of a comeback, covering Rosedale’s final score.
A further six goals in the third term to a goalless Rosedale only took things from bad to worse for the visitor’s, as YYN surpassed the triple-figure mark, and another 100-point defeat loomed for the Blues.
The Jets were sure to make that turn to fruition, piling on seven more goals in the final term to Rosedale’s 2.2 (14), capping off another dominant display at George Bates Reserve, 24.11 (115) to 5.10 (40).
Keenan Hughes bagged 10 majors, while strike partner Dean Macdonald kicked nine of his own.
Macdonald is now six goals clear on top with 68 in the league goal kicking standings.
Both made the best for YYN, as did Dylan Bath, Mitch Luck, Dylan Bentley and Anthony Young.
For Rosedale, Hayden Bell was the most prominent figure, while Max Lazzaro, Luke Stuckey, Darryl Mayman-French and Sam Callahan were stand-outs.
Although it was an expected win, it sets the Jets up well for their run home, which sees them face Heyfield in a blockbuster this weekend, Glengarry then Churchill before a bye in the final round.
Woodside really did that.
The Wildcats put Gormandale to the sword at the weekend, showing no mercy in the biggest win of the 2023 season.
Maybe we should have known that this game was over before it even started.
Woodside kicked 13.3 (81) to nothing in the first quarter, yet only added 4.7 (31) to Gormandale’s one goal in the second term, to hold a whopping 106-point halftime lead.
When do you take your foot off the pedal?
Apparently never, as the Wildcats another scored 100 points in a quarter, kicking 16.3 (99) in the third term, while the Tigers kicked their second for the day.
With a quarter to play, the margin sat at 199 points, and the record for the biggest win of the season was well within reach.
And the Wildcats got there with relative ease, slotting another 8.7 (55) to nothing to claim the four points and a decent boost in their percentage, 41.20 (266) to 2.0 (12).
With goals everywhere, the only thing that surprised me was that there weren’t more goal scorers, then I soon understood why.
Daniel Farmer kicked 11 and Michael O’Sullivan kicked 10.
That’s 106 points between the two of them, in just goals.
Bailey Tatnell was best-on-ground, prominent figures were O’Sullivan, Farmer, Daniel Missen (six goals), Jai Williams (five goals), and captain Ryan Foat.
Woodside’s percentage increased by a staggering 40.92 after the game.
Nicholas Millington, Will Flanagan, Isaac Copland, Jarred Canning, Pat Farry and Ben Heath were best for the Tigers.
Although it seems unlikely that Woodside can finish on top of the ladder, getting some run into the legs of their boys could help them when finals comes around.
Sale City defeated Cowwarr on the road.
The Saints showed some fight in the first term, trailing by four points at the first break.
The Bulldogs began to show up afterwards, kicking 15 goals in the final three quarters to the Saints’ six, blowing them away on their home deck.
Nine different goal kickers for the Bulldogs showed their versatility and amount of options going forward.
But their brute force was almost certainly going to be too much for Cowwarr, who have struggled for most of the season.
The final score saw Sale City jog off the Cowwarr oval 65-point winners, 17.21 (123) to 8.10 (58).
Kaden McCulloch was best on for the visitor’s with three goals. Chad Evans, Kyan Sellings, Jaxsyn Whitehill, Riley Kop (four goals), and Billy Quirk also played well.
Cowwarr’s captain Kyle Stamers was best for the home side, leading the way with three majors. In assistance was Ben Coffey, Jordan Anderson, Brady Hood, Rhys Luxford and Braden Johnston.
TTU, Yarram and Glengarry had the bye.
