FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
WHILE one side has definitely pulled themselves into the top echelon in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League, there’s still a clear demarcation throughout the senior ladder.
Woodside 14.7 (91) def YYN 8.6 (54)
OUT at George Bates Reserve, nothing could deter Woodside from picking up their fifth straight win in a 14.7 (91) to 8.6 (54) defeat of YYN in North Gippsland football.
Turning into quite the rivalry, the two clubs have played each other in three impressive finals over the last three years – with two coming during last year’s postseason campaign, finishing within a goal difference.
The Wildcats proved to be too strong and too determined in Round 6, despite missing a handful of players (which forced some up from the reserves who only ended up with 19, eventually 18, players in the earlier game).
YYN also missed multiple key position players in the marquee matchup.
Earlier this season, both teams had only been on the losing end once so far, meaning all would be on the line from the first bounce.
Jets playing-coach Dean MacDonald snagged a quick goals for the Jets working against a pressuring Woodside who inflicted early minor scores before sustaining a goal.
The Wildcats then mounted three successive majors, pushing the lead to 14 points before MacDonald responded again, getting loose on his opponent at all the right times.
Woodside offered a different option this season with the inclusion of ruckman Chris Witchell (who spent last year at Yinnar despite being a long tenured Wildcat), which lessened the burden on premiership captain, Ryan Foat.
Witchell was seen throughout the match, as the Jets tried to negate both big men despite lacking the matching size in the ruck, being as physical as was allowed by the match’s umpires.
Woodside clearly wanted to make a point to the side they could well see in the back end of the year. Witchell nailed wingman Lucas Fry with an elbow to the face, which set off the home spectators and bench.
To his credit, Fry bounced up quickly and continued the rest of the game, but the point had been made.
The second quarter turned into quite the bloodbath, with each midfields going at it and the scoreboard not nearly reflecting the tough, drawn-out nature the term displayed.
Bodies began to fly at every ball, and defenders at both ends of the ground dup deep, although Woodside still manage to find major scores when needed, as a late one from Cameron Whiteoak gave the Wildcats a 10-point edge at halftime.
The quarter had taken a toll, with a number of Jets and Wildcats players desperately needing the rest, however each side returned knowing there was still plenty to transpire.
Despite that notion, once the next siren sounded to pick up where the game left off, that was the closest YYN would get for the rest of the game.
Woodside booted eight of the proceeding 10 goals to finish in dominant form, while the Jets scrounged to find anything their way in the second half.
The pressure that Woodside continued to lay, just not when stopping the Jets’ attack, but when they themselves had ball in hand, had YYN working on the back foot for the majority of the second half.
Michael O’Sullivan was a clear difference maker with his four goals, while Liam Hard, Brody Stainer and Zac Richards all hit the scoreboard twice for the winners.
Jon Fythe and Josh Morgan were both standouts for the Wildcats, while Alex Jeffs, Matt Dyke, Adam Janssen and Cooper Ryan were others of note in the important away win.
Jai Massese was once again strong for the Jets. Dylan Bath, Callum Robertson, Matt Twaddle, Dylan Bentley, and Fry all battled hard in defeat.
The Jets will look immediately past this match, as they prepare for TTU this weekend, who sit top of the ladder.
Heyfield 12.12 (84) def Cowwarr 7.9 (51)
THE young Roos impressed once again.
Heyfield ran past Cowwarr, 12.12 (84) to 7.9 (51), despite some fight from the Saints on their home deck during Round 6.
A determined side all season thus far, the Kangaroos weren’t about to afford any lapses to begin the match, as they banged on six of the opening seven goals.
The Saints gained slight momentum during the middle of the second term with three goals to one during the period, but a late one from Kyle Graham gave Heyfield a five-goal margin, which felt even larger.
That portion in which Cowwarr rose to the occasion may have paid dividends as play returned after halftime, with the match turning into a real battle to score anything of significance.
Only two goals were laid down during the third quarter, one apiece, which still kept things interesting heading into the final term.
The first 10 minutes of that last quarter played out relatively similar to the preceding one, as both teams weren’t giving an inch.
The Saints tacked on the first goal of the term, bringing the margin back to 25 points, but Heyfield withstood that mounting to nail three of the final four goals of the game.
TTU 12.17 (89) def Sale City 4.5 (29)
JUST keep streaming.
TTU found no difficulty in traveling to Stephenson Park, taking down Sale City by 10 goals, 12.17 (89) to 4.5 (29).
The Bombers opened up a quick 14-point lead in the opening term, looking to be on a warpath over a premiership they deemed lost last season.
While the Bulldogs tacked on two goals during the first term to sit just eight points down, that would be the closest they’d come the rest of the day.
That’s even despite just one goal kicked in the second quarter, coming from TTU’s Riley Denovan. The Bombers withstood some heavy pressure from the home side, and also some missed opportunities in front of goal, which kept the score still within reach.
Samuel Curtain opened up the third term for TTU, with the Bombers locked in on what had to be done to see through not just a victory, but a substantial one.
Despite Jacob Schuback nailing one in return for Sale City, TTU kicked seven of the final eight goals of the match to surmount a fifth consecutive win out of the gate.
Kade Duncan was best for the winning Bombers, followed by young Denovan backing up his 11-goal haul against Churchill with a further bag of six. Trent Hourigan, Hayden Willaton (two goals), Michael Jacobsen and Frazar Brouns were also lively.
Despite finding themselves back in finals for the first time in some time last year, this season is a completely different beast, and Sale City look to be right back in the clutter of teams hoping to fill out the final slot in the top five.
Hudson Tollner, Kaden McCulloch, Jaxsyn Whitehill, Flynn Read (three goals), Schuback, and Daine McGuiness performed admirably for the Bulldogs.
Rosedale 15.16 (106) def Churchill 9.6 (60)
BACK on track for the Blues.
Rosedale almost made it successive 50-point victories, defeating Churchill at Gaskin Park 15.16 (106) to 9.6 (60).
While both clubs hover around a similar position on the ladder this early in the season, it’s safe to say both have different goals for the foreseeable matches ahead.
The Cougars didn’t go down without a fight in this one, keeping close throughout the first half, down by just 15 points at the main break.
The Blues set themselves up in the third quarter with five goals to one, which pushed the lead out to 43 points at the last change.
Both sides stood strong through to the final siren, both contributing four goals in the final term.
Riley Atlee, Declan Barnett (three goals), Jay Diamond, Luke Stuckey, Blake Safstrom (two), and Spencer Fox (four) were best for the winners.
Blake and Joe Whykes, Jye Williams, Bradley Brereton, Tom Stevenson and Calen Hill battled strongly for Churchill.
Glengarry 21.17 (143) def Gormandale 2.4 (16)
A MAGPIE swooping of the highest order.
At Gormandale Recreation Reserve, Glengarry handled the Tigers with ease, 21.17 (143) to 2.4 (16).
Despite both sides positioned as the bottom two sides in the competition across the last handful seasons, the Magpies have showed significant improvement over the course of the preseason with some young, firing recruits.
That proved to be more than what was required, as Gormandale never appeared close to their opponent on the day.
The Magpies smacked on 15 of the first 16 goals, which says it all, and they backed it up through to the end with six to one in the final term.
Glengarry had five multiple goal scorers, with Shae Duncan nabbing a game-high five.
Michael Ryan was best-on-ground for the Magpies, followed by Luke Healy, Jesse Lee, Cassidy Bartley, Duncan, and Austin Blackford.
Riley Hughes, Darion Duncan (on debut), Hayden Richards, Blake Hearn, Jordan Cochrane and Flynn Roscoe tried their best for the Tigers.
Gormandale have likely missed their window for a win this season, but they will look ahead to healthy chances against Churchill in Round 11 and again against Glengarry in Round 17 (albeit hard to make up a 19-goal difference).
YARRAM had the bye.
