FOOTBALL
MID GIPPSLAND
By ROB POPPLESTONE
JUST four weeks remain in the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League home-and-away season, with the final scenario looking likely to play out like any of the best thrillers anybody has ever seen.
Amazingly, 10 of the league’s 13 clubs were still capable of making a coveted top six spot prior to Round 15, but as in any good thriller, some of the good guys are likely to be killed off over the next month.
MDU 14.10 (94) def Yinnar 10.5 (64)
THE Demons started the day fourth on the league ladder, but just a game clear of ninth-placed Newborough, the problem for MDU was having to host a Yinnar side who sat third but were on the rebound from a loss the week prior.
The Magpies were in the game at the first break, but beaten from there on in by the Demons, 14.10 (94) to 10.5 (64) at Meeniyan Recreation Reserve.
Possibly their best win of the season has MDU back into premiership discussions.
Demons coach Rhett Kelly was thrilled with the result.
“It was great to get back on the winning list I was really proud of how the lad’s responded after a couple of challenging weeks,” he said.
“We identified a few areas of our game that needed quick attention. Those areas were a big focus for us during the week and yesterday’s game, and to the guys’ credit, they got it done, playing a solid four-quarter game.
“Yinnar is a quality team, and we knew that we had to be at our best to beat them.
“We have a bye next week, which we’ll use to refresh physically and mentally before our final two home and away games of the season.”
The win was one of the better ones from the Demons this season, the loss for the Magpies coach Sam McCulloch on the other hand, has them working on some problems they have identified.
“MDU certainly came to play and were out to redeem themselves after a loss last week,” he said.
“We struggled to get our game going and were out worked for a large portion of the game. Credit to MDU for the way they applied themselves and there attitude for 4 quarters.
“With the bye coming next week, (it) is a real opportunity for us to regroup and have a good look at some areas of our game that are letting us down. Will get to work over the next few weeks at training and set ourselves up for a big game against Newborough.”
The upcoming Bulldogs clash is anticipated to be a crucial one also, with the Bulldogs just percentage from sixth spot and believing that they can be part of the real stuff come finals time.
Hill End 13.8 (86) def Mirboo North 7.9 (51)
MIRBOO NORTH sat in sixth position as they welcomed a Hill End side to their home ground, and in any other week of the season, the Tigers would be super confident of success given the Rovers in any other week had been a beaten team before they arrived.
This week however, the Hillsmen were coming off their first win of the year and super keen to make it two in a row.
The visitors had their opponents on the back foot from the first bounce and ran the game right out to win 13.8 (86) to 7.9 (51) at Mirboo North Recreation Reserve.
Hill End coach Adrian Burns was ecstatic with their second win of the year, in as many weeks.
“Just really wrapped for the fellas who have stuck it out for a majority of the year and kept at it week in and week out, and now to finally get the rewards for the months of hard work is really pleasing,” he said.
“Two wins in as many weeks and the one on the weekend against a contender in the Tigers and on their home ground was a really good one.”
The ecstasy felt by the Hillsmen, a stark contrast to the disappointment felt by the Tigers.
Mirboo North coach Damian Turner was left to ponder what went wrong.
“Tough day. We didn’t bounce back from the bye and Hill End to their absolute credit did,” he said.
“They were cleaner, took their chances and ran harder. A much improved football side. We have to knuckle down now. More than ever, it’s do or die from here on in.”
Mirboo North remain in sixth position but have four teams below them that are within just one win, the pressure really starting to build in the final weeks of the home-and-away season.
Boolarra 6.6 (42) def Morwell East 2.8 (20)
MUCH more at stake for the Demons, a win over Morwell East, 6.6 (42) to 2.8 (20) at Ronald Reserve, kept the chance of finals alive for Boolarra.
Keeping in touch with the top six, Demons coach Brendan Mason acknowledged they will need to improve when facing tougher opposition.
“With the start of the game pushed back by 15 minutes or so to celebrate Indigenous Round it felt like both sides weren’t ready to go when action finally got underway,” he said.
“(We) were wasteful going forward and East transitioned the ball easily across half back before stumbling at half forward.”
The quarter time huddle offered a frank assessment of the team’s efforts which could be best summed up as ‘unsatisfactory’ given his tone.
After a couple of Hawks were punished with 50-meter penalties for offering their opinion on a free kick, Daniel Wilson slotted from the goal square to give the Demons a lead they’d hold for the rest of the day.
Make no mistake, the home side had their chances, having plenty of the ball for a lot of the game, but those 50-metre penalties contributed significantly to the final result and had Morwell East coach Paul Henry livid.
“I feel like I’m on repeat writing my weekly wrap up. We controlled three of the four quarters in general play, we just couldn’t score,” he said.
“Boolarra defended the 50 arc really well. Three of their goals were from horrible umpire decisions. The first half free kick stat would’ve read 30-5 Boolarra’s way, it was terrible.
“Hill End won so that leaves us holding up the bottom of the ladder. Top verses bottom next week when we’re away to Foster. Doesn’t get easier.”
It’s a year to forget for Morwell East, but with three weeks to go, dusting themselves off and climbing off the bottom of the MGFNL ladder would be the clubs first priority.
Thorpdale 8.8 (56) def Tarwin 7.13 (55)
AS with every clash in Round 15, seasons were on the line at the home ground of the Sharks.
Thorpdale, fifth on the league ladder made the trek to take to Tarwin, who sat seventh and just a game behind the Blues, knowing that a win could all but sew up their finals aspirations whilst killing off those of the opposition.
The clash was a one point thriller, with Thorpdale’s accuracy the difference, winning 8.8 (56) to 7.13 (55) at Tarwin Lower Recreation Reserve.
Blues coach Daniel Taylor was thrilled to come through with the victory.
“Wrapped to get the win in what was an important game for both clubs. Tarwin had some ascendancy in different stages of the game but let us off the hook with some inaccurate kicking,” he said.
“To the boys credit, we embraced the contest, we hung in there all day and found a way to win in the end which was very pleasing.
“We had contributors right across the board but I thought our back seven were fantastic against a pretty potent forward line.
“We’ve now put ourselves in a pretty good position leading into the bye, on a personal note I’m looking forward to a stress free Saturday, but the main thing is it gives the boys a great opportunity to freshen up before the back end of the season.”
Deep into the season and with finals just weeks away, the opportunity for a deep breath and freshen up is like gold for some sides, while for others such as the Sharks, there is no time to rest and no room for error as they find themselves in eighth position and just a game from a coveted top six spot.
Tarwin coach Lachie Jones admitted it wasn’t what they’d hoped for.
“Really tough loss to swallow. Credit to Thorpdale they just played with great determination all game,” he said.
“We missed opportunities to build scoreboard pressure and didn’t take our chances in front of goal when it counted. Again we couldn’t question our effort and endeavour but just lacked some composure and polish and that was the difference.”
The Sharks may well rue the inaccuracy of the weekend, the congestion around the sixth position remains, and Tarwin are still very much in the mix, but one more result such as they had at the weekend, and it will be all over.
Foster 15.15 (105) def Toora 6.6 (42)
HAVING clawed their way into finals contention, Toora were now forced to face perhaps their biggest challenge of the season in order to secure a firmer grip on an unlikely finals position
However, top of the table Foster were too strong in the end, victors 15.15 (105) to 6.6 (42) at Toora Recreation Reserve.
Tigers coach Sam Davies kept the result in perspective.
“Hot start down at Toora putting the game to bed very quickly – we battled away and had some really good moments mixed in with some scrappy patches for the rest of the game,” he said.
“We won every quarter which was pleasing and our work rate was good for a lot of the day.”
The Tigers, as good as they are, did what they needed to do, applied pressure early, assumed control and cruised to the finish line.
The loss hasn’t halted the Magpie’s shot at finals, but it did showcase just how good the top of the table Foster side is.
Toora coach Jay Acardi noticed the difference when facing such a premier opponent.
“Foster certainly came to play and unfortunately we were well off the pace early and we got shown what good sides do to you when you are not up for the challenge,” he said.
“To the boys credit we didn’t shy away from the challenge and had a real crack in the second half.”
Like a few others, Toora remain just one game behind the sixth placed Mirboo North, and Toora’s upcoming clash against Boolarra looms as a defining moment of both teams’ seasons.
FISH CREEK, Newborough and Stony Creek had the bye.
