FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By TOM HAYES
A TELLING weekend in North Gippsland football uncovered answers that many had been searching for.
Three teams had a line put through them heading into the round, and now a fourth, and potentially a fifth, has been added to that list.
Looking ahead to the final month that awaits, it appears more and more likely that only six teams remain in the race for the top five, although the top two seems to be decided.
The weather made things difficult in every game, no matter the opponent, forcing congested games and lower scores.
Woodside 7.18 (60) def YYN 6.9 (45)
THEY weren’t going to be held down for long.
Woodside returned to the winner’s list after two consecutive losses, defeating Yallourn Yallourn North at home, 7.18 (60) to 6.9 (45).
Windy conditions made things difficult on the day, making sense of the uptake in minor scores, which outweighed the majors by more than double.
A rollercoaster first half had everyone entertained, as the lead changed hands on multiple occasions.
Having a plethora of chances in their front half early in the piece was Woodside, who registered nine scores to five; albeit the two sides scored the same number of goals.
The Wildcats edged ahead at the break, scoring 2.7 (19) to 2.3 (15), but their lead could’ve been much more had they kicked straight (or if the wind wasn’t present).
Woodside continued to miss chances in the second term, while it was YYN’s turn to take charge.
The Jets matched their first quarter score, keeping the Wildcats to just 1.2 (8) for the quarter, as the visitors snatched the lead back by three points going into the second half.
Woodside returned to the field reinvigorated in the second half, but once again, despite their dominance they weren’t able to make YYN see it on the scoreboard.
Inaccuracies continued to blunder their score, but every point added up as Woodside re-established their lead.
Scoring 3.7 (25) to the Jets’ 2.1 (13), their third quarter effort gave them ascendancy as the two entered the final term.
Scores seemingly flowed to the end which the Jets were kicking to in the last, so an ultimate defensive effort was required from the home side to see themselves to victory.
The final quarter scrap played into the hands of Woodside, slowing the game right down, reflected on the scoreboard.
Woodside kicked the only goal of the last quarter, along with two behinds, which were cancelled out by YYN’s two behinds.
Despite the lack of scores on the board, it was enough to see the Wildcats over the line by 15 points.
Each side only had one multiple goal scorer, as Michael O’Sullivan kicked two for the home side, and Blair Clymo kicked three for the Jets.
Ryan Foat, Ben Johnson, Josh Kennedy, Liam Leeson, Tanner Hall, and Josh Morgan were outstanding in the windy conditions for Woodside.
Darcy Shellcot, coach Tom Hutton, Dylan Brooks, Mitch Luck, Clymo, and Jai Massese were held in good stead on the road.
The win creates a true top two battle, as Woodside cut any threat from YYN, who are now three games behind the Wildcats.
Just nine per cent separates first from second, and with both teams expected to win their remaining games, whoever is able to decimate teams more will reap the rewards.
YYN now find themselves locked in a race for the finals despite sitting third. From the outside looking in, the Jets would be favoured to win their remaining four games as things stand (Rosedale, Glengarry, Churchill, and Yarram), which would see them play finals with a double chance.
Rosedale 6.4 (40) def by Sale City 11.8 (74)
SALE CITY continue to surge.
The Bulldogs are giving themselves the best chance of playing finals, after knocking over Rosedale on the road, 11.8 (74) to 6.4 (40).
Even on the road, Sale City always looked at home, steaming ahead early to close the game out.
It didn’t happen as early as they might’ve hoped, but they managed to kick the only two goals of the first quarter, opening a 14-point advantage at quarter time.
The Bulldogs continued to ascend in the second quarter, at a much more efficient, and hasty rate, which saw them boot four goals to one, with the lead over five goals at the second break.
With only one goal to their name, it was going to be tough for Rosedale to make up the deficit they found themselves in from here, unless they were able to stem the flow that the Bulldogs created.
An evenly fought third quarter saw both sides score two goals each, but a couple of minor scores went the way of the visitors, which kept the margin creeping in an upward trajectory.
With 35 points up their sleeve going into the last quarter, Sale City had enough wind in their sails to get to the finish line.
The Blues won the final quarter, but only by a point, kicking 3.2 (20) to 3.1 (19), as Sale City eased to their seventh win of the season.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Lachlan Carman, Tom Bowman, Kane Martin, Daine McGuiness, Jayden Allison, and Cooper Whitehill. Mitch Evans kicked four goals, helping the Bulldogs extend their lead.
Luke Stuckey, Blake Safstrom, Declan Barnett, Harper Fox, Jay Diamond, and Jake Suter played a hard fought game for the Blues.
Although sitting in sixth place, Sale City could be one of the more threatening teams in the senior competition right now.
Their run home holds them in good stead too, with four very winnable games which could potentially see them return to finals for the first time since 2018.
The Bulldogs are set to face Glengarry, Churchill, Yarram, and Gormandale, which at this rate, they could win all four. They are yet to face Churchill all season, so are yet to test the waters, while the game against Yarram in Round 17 could be one to keep an eye on.
As for Rosedale, considering their run home, it appears as though their season has come to an end. Despite being a mathematical chance, the Blues have to play against YYN, Cowwarr, and Traralgon Tyers United, before a bye in the final round.
Considering their percentage too, they might just need four wins to get in, but with three games remaining, it appears to be mission impossible.
Yarram 11.18 (84) def Gormandale 1.2 (8)
YARRAM made light work of Gormandale.
The Demons surged to an 11.18 (84) to 1.2 (8) victory at home, in a much-needed dominant display in tricky conditions.
It was the biggest win of the weekend, and it came at a good time for Yarram, who are locked in a battle for finals, needing every win they can get.
Conditions made it difficult to hit the scoreboard with effect, as Yarram nailed 3.7 (25) to two behinds in the opening term.
The Demons continued to show off their dominance, keeping the Tigers scoreless in the second quarter, all while kicking another 3.5 (23).
With the points in the bag, Yarram had a job to finish, and they didn’t need to go all out to achieve this.
Another 4.2 (26) in the third term for the Demons saw the margin surge further, even though Gormandale kicked their first goal of the game through Tyler Kanara.
Both sides appeared to hit a wall in the final quarter. The Demons kicked the only goal, as they extended their margin by 10 points to collect the four points in a 76-point win.
Josh Swift gave himself the best chance at winning this year’s goalkicking, booting five goals and cracking the half ton for the season. He is now just four goals behind YYN’s Dean Macdonald.
Louis Rodaughan was best-on-ground for Yarram, helped on the day by Jake Mcfarland, Chris Bruns, coach Boadie Motton, Matt Clavarino, and Liam Bentley.
For Gormandale, Will Flanagan, Steven Burgess, Chris Potalej, Hayden Richards, Flynn Roscoe, and Blake Hearns performed best.
Yarram move equal on points with YYN and Heyfield following their wins, but their month ahead is harder than the rest.
The Demons are set to face Heyfield, TTU, Sale City, and YYN on their run home. Considering current form, there is a possibility that the Demons could suffer defeat until the end of the season.
To assure themselves a finals spot, games against Heyfield, YYN, and Sale City will all prove pivotal, but as the season has progressed, the Demons have appeared to be most likely to slip up – and have done so in losses to Rosedale and Churchill.
Churchill 9.5 (59) def by Heyfield 16.14 (110)
HEYFIELD punished Churchill.
In trying conditions at Gaskin Park, Heyfield resumed their dominance over the Cougars in recent times, putting them to the sword in a 16.14 (110) to 9.5 (59) win.
The Kangaroos got off to the best of starts, kicking 3.1 (19) to three behinds in the opening quarter, as the Cougars appeared to take longer to get going in the cold.
Heyfield continued to push through Churchill, adding another 3.6 (24) in the second term, while Churchill were just getting started, adding 2.1 (13).
Churchill weren’t done with yet, and they started confidently coming out of the sheds, getting the margin back down to as little as eight points during the third term. A late goal to the Kangaroos saw them ahead by just 14 points, and all of a sudden there was a game on their hands.
But Heyfield quickly reassembled themselves and made sure there was no chance of a comeback from Churchill, essentially ending their season on the worst of notes.
The Cougars were kept scoreless in the final term, all while Heyfield went off into the distance, kicking 5.7 (37), on their way to a 51-point win.
Thomas Marchesi was influential for the Kangaroos, as was Tyson Birss, Liam Heasley, Kyle Graham, Max Van Der Zwart, and Kail Hole.
Jordan Fenech was named as the Cougars’ best in his 200th senior game. Notable inclusions in the best were Blake Whykes, Bailey Flanigan, Joe Whykes, Ashley Di Ciero, and Tom Sevenson.
The win for Heyfield has proved to be a vital win, as Yarram and Sale City both scored four points in their banks.
The Kangaroos have only three games left this season and a bye. They are set to face Yarram in a vital fixture next week, before Gormandale, the bye, and lastly TTU. At this rate they probably win two of those, taking them to 10 wins for the season, but that game against Yarram could change everything.
Churchill’s season looks to be over, with just five wins to their name all season, they are now three games back from fifth-placed Yarram.
Their tricky run home does them no favours, facing TTU, Sale City, YYN, and Cowwarr.
Churchill have only missed finals in the seniors once in 30 years, and it looks as if that feat may double in a month’s time.
BYE – TTU, Cowwarr, and Glengarry.
GASKIN Park, Churchill will be the home of the North Gippsland Grand Finals this year.
Although not announced by North Gippsland itself, Churchill FNC President, Mark Answerth announced the news in the football club’s weekly newsletter.
Gaskin Park welcomed the addition of a second netball court to their facility, possibly helping their case in getting hosting rights for the Grand Final.
“This is fantastic news for our club, and will give us an opportunity to showcase our venue and club,” Answerth said in the newsletter.
Gaskin Park is going through an overhaul, which sees the secondary ground undergoing resurfacing, set to accommodate baseball and cricket.
Churchill FNC are also set to receive $1 million through the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund for the construction of a multi-use pavilion, shared between the junior and senior football clubs, as well as cricket and baseball clubs.
New changerooms are expected to be a part of the pavilion, as the hopes to convert Gaskin Park into the premier sporting precinct in Churchill can begin next year.
