FOOTBALL
MID GIPPSLAND
By ROB POPPLESTONE
THE back-half of the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League season sees clubs getting close to having had a look at each one of their opposition, with 10 rounds now complete.
It is becoming obvious there is nowhere to hide. The spot you find yourself is the spot you deserve and the chances to improve are slowly starting to diminish.
Tarwin 9.15 (69) def Boolarra 10.8 (68)
THE match between Boolarra and Tarwin in Round 10 was one for the ages.
Two clubs that have shown patches of very good football sprinkled with some disappointing performances met at the home of the Demons
The result was to have a major impact on either sides finals chances.
Prior to the start of play, Tarwin sat fifth and Boolarra seventh, only percentage separating them.
Come game’s end, it was a nail biting finish that fell the way of the visitors 9.15 (69) to 10.8 (68).
Boolarra assistant coach, Scott Berechree said neither side deserved to lose.
“A heart breaking one point loss with a shot for goal right on the siren falling agonisingly short,” he said.
“In a finish that will be spoken about for many a year, the two sets of supporters may never agree on whether or not the ball crossed the line or not, with Bailey Flanagan’s shot from outside 50 having plenty riding on it with the margin one point and the siren ringing out while the ball was mid-air.
“The man in lime green however, after a quick conference with his companions, declared no score and to the winner goes the spoils.
“Tarwin jumped us early and had their nine scoring shots been more accurate they could’ve had the game wrapped up very early. To our boys’ credit though we fought back well over the next two quarters to take a 15 point lead into the final change.
“With our bench reduced to one due to injury, it was always going to be a battle of attrition over the last term.
“To Tarwin’s credit they managed to find the front and hold on for the last few minutes and walk away winners with the narrowest of margins.
“Joel Mason was excellent all day with his brother Brendan hitting the scoreboard too.
Simon Noy was excellent in his return from injury as was Matt Dyer who played his first game for the season.”
Tarwin’s 11 point quarter time lead was whittled back to four at halftime, before Boolarra took some sort of control and appeared to have a match winning buffer at the last break.
Sharks coach, Lachie Jones had to take some time to comprehend the result.
“Well that’s the definition of stealing a win,” he said.
“We looked done but surged late to hit the front and then just held on.
“Like so many times this year we have been in a tough spot late, but the message at the three quarter time break was ‘let’s take out chances and don’t dwell on any mistakes’.
“We hung tough and were able to play a really strong last 15 minutes and when we hit the front we put Jordan Staley behind the ball and he iced the game with three strong pack marks.
“Earlier in the game it was free flowing from both sides with a few momentum shifts and Boolarra had their chip and mark game going well.
“We had an under 18s player in Indie Cameron (son of club legend Travis) make his senior debut and that gave us a really big boost. He played a great game too and didn’t look out of place for a 17-year-old. It puts us in a strong spot and this week we have a bye to refresh and reset before we take on Yinnar at home.”
Tarwin appears as though they are ready to make a move, with the bye an opportunity for a refresh and a platform from which to launch a genuine challenge in the back-half of the year.
Yinnar 12.15 (87) def Hill End 9.8 (62)
THE Rovers were under no illusions as to the enormity of the task that greeted them when they welcomed Yinnar.
Yinnar had already taken the scalp of reigning premier, Fish Creek to open up the season, and since that time have been quietly putting together the squad and game style they hope will hold them in good stead later in the year.
That said, the Magpies have respect for any opponent, and that included the winless Hill End, who put up a good fight in a 12.15 (87) to 9.8 (62) defeat.
Yinnar Coach, Sam McCulloch admitted to breathing a sigh of relief.
“Was a sigh of relief to come away with the four points,” he said.
“Certainly was not one of our better performances of the year, so credit to Hill End for their game. They were up and about and played some good footy.
“We were able to get our game going when challenged which was pleasing. Plenty to work on during the week, our skills certainly weren’t up to an acceptable standard.”
The Magpies were fortunate to get away with some rare errors and sloppy play, as their young opponents continue to work on their own craft.
Yinnar will be better prepared against better opposition, and they will need to be, as the Rovers, although eager, are not quite ready to take advantage of the opportunities they are given.
That being said, Hill End Coach, Adrian Burns felt his side had turned the corner.
“Our first half was really good and maybe our best footy this year,” he said.
“We were up at halftime, but some skill areas cost us. I really believe we could have won the game, but anyway, we just keep going.”
The Rovers, if nothing else, can hopefully get something from the fact they were able to lead last year’s grand finalists, and one of this year’s contenders at the halfway mark.
Maybe, just maybe they are getting close to a win.
MDU 21.8 (134) def Mirboo North 9.7 (61)
MIRBOO NORTH needed to steal a win back after losing to Morwell East the previous round.
The task to take on Meeniyan Dumbalk United however was never going to be easy, as it proved in the end at Walter Tuck Reserve.
The Tigers went down 21.8 (134) to 9.7 (61), to remain part of a handful of clubs fighting to stay in touch with the league’s top six clubs.
MDU coach, Rhett Kelly happy to have more than doubled the opposition score.
“Facing a young team, you’re never quite sure what to expect, and Mirboo certainly started strong, putting us on the back foot early,” he said.
“However, we were able to regroup at quarter time and get the game back on our terms. I’m super proud of the boys for their work rate around the ball and their ability to spread and move the football forward, creating plenty of opportunities for us.”
The fast start by the Tigers, although soon reeled in by MDU, shows that they are capable, but youth will need to be developed and patience given. Slowly but surely the improvements are coming, achieving a more consistent effort, but like all clubs, Mirboo North would rather it sooner than later.
Tigers coach, Damien Turner said the opposition was just too good.
“Full credit to MDU, they showed their class across the majority of the game,” he said.
“We started strongly and had some great moments, and while we couldn’t maintain it, the effort and attitude never wavered.
“Injuries continue to challenge us, but the boys showed real resilience and a willingness to adapt which is super-impressive. Another under 18 debuted this week, which is a great sign for the future and valuable experience for our young brigade.”
The Tigers’ best days may well be in the future, while for the Demons, right here, right now is the moment they must seize.
A fortnight of losses aside, MDU has performed extraordinarily well, and with a top six six position seemingly locked away, it’s now all about maintaining performance.
Fish Creek 12.13 (85) def Thorpdale 8.7 (55)
THORPDALE had been admirable in their loss to Yinnar the previous round, and again left it all out on the park when they took on league leaders Fish Creek at the weekend.
The Blues’ honesty and attack on the ball cannot be questioned, but they do appear to be just a few soldiers short to take on the very best.
Fish Creek winning 12.13 (85) to 8.7 (55) on the road.
Kangaroos coach, Jarrod Walker said his side was tested.
“A really solid game for us,” he said.
“We had probably our youngest team in for a few years so we stripped the game right back to a few simple KPIs for each group.
“We were able to tick these off at each quarter time break which was a real positive and probably one of our more consistent four quarter games for the year.
“Thorpdale was good all day, also battling a few injuries but stuck at it right until the end. It was probably only the last 10-15 minutes we were able to kick a couple of goals in a row and end up with a nice lead.”
The Blues’ efforts are as they have always been, honest, but they still trailed at every change by four points, 10, 13 and three.
Thorpdale Coach, Daniel Taylor again had reason to be positive and negative.
“We started the game off really well but didn’t get any scoreboard pressure which was a little frustrating,” he said.
“After quarter time Fishy took control and were the better team for the rest of the day. Some basic skill errors really hurt us again, we need to clean that up if we want to be able to compete with the best teams.”
Thorpdale must now turn their attention to Toora.
Less than a month ago, you might have pencilled in a Thorpdale win, but with the Magpies winning two of their last three, this will be yet another tough test for the Blues.
Toora 21.14 (140) def Newborough 10.7 (67)
THIS clash was always going to be determined by one of the last men standing.
Both clubs have been hit hard by far too many injuries, and as a result have also spat out some inconsistent performances.
Even so, both seasons are far from over, yet Toora’s might have more of a pulse after winning 21.14 (140) to 10.7 (67).
Toora Coach, Jay Acardi was pleased with what transpired.
“A perfect winter’s day for football at Toora and we had a great contest against a young up and coming team in Newborough,” he said.
“They jumped out of the blocks early and kicked two goals before we even touched the ball. To our boys credit we didn’t panic and got the game on our terms.
“Really proud of how the boys responded after the previous game.”
Newborough Coach, Pat Frendo said it was a disappointing display.
“Very tough loss. Started off really well and quickly went away from what got us an early lead. Toora showed they were hungrier and cracked in harder at every opportunity,” he said.
The loss is a bad one for the Bulldogs, not devastating, but bad enough to put their season under pressure.
The Magpies have now won two from their past three, and seemingly from nowhere are starting to surge.
Foster 15.11 (101) def Stony Creek 6.5 (41)
OPPOSITION clubs appear to be paying the price for Foster’s recent one kick loss to Fish Creek.
The Tigers did a number on Toora in Round 9, and last round it was Stony Creek’s turn to feel their wrath.
The travelling Tigers won with ease 15.11 (101) to 6.5 (41).
Foster has many admirers, and their weekend performance has done nothing to dampen opinion they may well be the next big thing of the MGFNL.
Tigers coach, Sam Davies acknowledged his side’s consistency.
“Solid four quarter performance from us with a couple of really good moments,” he said.
“Stony definitely had strong patches, especially for the first 10 minutes of each quarter and really tried to play a high contest game.”
The 10 goal margin indicates a one way affair, however in reality, the Lions had moments every bit as impressive as their opposition.
“The scoreboard didn’t reflect how close the game was, with our boys well in the contest,” Lions coach, Troy Shepherdson said.
MORWELL EAST had the bye.
