FOOTBALL
MID GIPPSLAND
By MITCH BERECHREEE
ROUND 8 of the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League was highlighted by Foster forward Brett Eddy’s incredible day in front of the big sticks.
The former Port Adelaide player booted 18 goals as the Tigers shortened its premiership odds even further.
While the rest of the league takes a break this weekend for Charlie’s big day, Tarwin will welcome Fisch Creek to town for what promises to be a ripping standalone clash.
Those unable to attend can catch all the action on Gippsland FM (104.7 FM) from 2pm this Sunday.
Foster 35.11 (221) def Newborough 5.1 (31)
ANYONE who has played footy at any level will know how hard it is to get a kick sometimes.
Many of us would have left the field with barely a handful of possessions, and on a rare good day, some may have even kept a straight face as we lay claim to having “around 20 or so touches” if we added enough “mayo” to our real tally of 13 or 14. So, imagine having a day where you had as many as 18 in a single game?
Now imagine all 18 of these kicks were goals.
The mere notion of it is absurd to most of us. Right, 18 goals in a game, as if.
Well not to Brett Eddy.
That’s right, Eddy helped himself to 18 majors in his sides huge 190 point win over Newborough.
The reigning premier kicked a stupendous 35.11 (221) to Newborough’s 5.1 (31).
In some understatement, Foster coach Jake Best noted it was “a great four quarter game for us” before deferring to his next match.
While Best may not have gone into too much detail, make no mistake, this is something people will talk about for years to come. Generations to come in fact.
Eddy has of course kicked close to 1300 career goals and has played footy at levels most of us only ever get to see on TV, but 18 in a game, any game, is crazy.
Footy is a team game, and while Eddy managed to kick over half of his sides 35 goals, someone still had to get him the ball.
Jack Rathjen and reigning league medal winner Angus Norton were noted as second and third best on for the home side. Somewhat scarily, the next three guys on Foster’s best players list all have experience in and around AFL clubs – Tom Schneider, Luke Tapscott and Jack Weston filling spots fourth, fifth and sixth. What a performance and what a list of talent. Oh, and Jake Best will return to the fold shortly too …
Newborough was best served by Anthony Daley, Matt Heywood and Liam Fitzpatrick.
Much as the Bulldogs would like to forget the game in the short term, I can’t help but get the feeling they too will tell the tale in years to come of the day they played against a bloke called Brett Eddy who kicked 18 in a game.
Yinnar 14.21 (105) def Thorpdale 8.5 (53)
AN irrepressible Yinnar overcame inaccuracy in front of a goal and a fast starting Thorpdale to run out convincing winners in Round 8 of the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League.
The Magpies won 14.21 (105) to 8.5 (53) at Thorpdale Recreation Reserve.
Coming off a shattering loss to Newborough the week before, expectations were high for a fired up Thorpdale to come out swinging.
The healthy crowd in attendance was not disappointed, with the home side kicking five goals to two in the first term to lead by 13 points as the siren sounded.
It was not all the home team early though, with James DeVirgilio, he who played for Thorpdale last season, slotting the first of the day from an errant Blues kick in.
As if needing to expunge his successful return to their home ground, Thorpdale countered immediately through Heath Ferguson, who snapped truly to square the ledger.
This was followed by some classy Yinnar play that saw Mick Geary find his regular partner in crime Kane Grinstead-Jones in the forward 50.
Grinstead-Jones then lasered a pass to Lachlan Pratt who marked and goaled. Those expecting an easy Yinnar win were on pretty comfortable terms with themselves.
Fast forward to the end the first quarter, and Thorpdale kicked four in a row and the upset was on.
Firstly, it was Shaun Falla, who sharked the loose ball front and centre from a marking contest and snapped from 30.
Shannon Pickering then intercepted a Yinnar pass, played on and kicked truly from outside 50.
When Jerimiah Jones, who was excellent for Thorpdale early, soccerred a loose ball through form a goal mouth scramble and Ferguson out-marked Tom Robertson before kicking truly from 30, the locals rushed to the quarter time huddle to hear all about it.
I am sure Thorpdale coach Daniel Taylor would have heaped praise on his defenders, as while his side led well, they trailed the inside 50 count 20 to 11.
Were it not for the excellent work of Cougar Milsom and Ben Britten, who seemingly marked everything that came their way, things might have been vastly different.
After the change, Yinnar changed tact slightly.
They went into a high possession, short kick and mark style of play and the results came quickly.
The Magpies also tidied up, somewhat, their delivery into the front half. The one thing that didn’t need to change though was effort – it was there all game.
To highlight the point, it was effort that led to their first goal of the second half after Geary laid a huge tackle to start proceedings.
He goaled from the subsequent free and the wheels were in motion.
Next it was some brilliant stoppage work from James Jacobsen, who found Flynn Schill, definitely one of his sides best, who made no mistake from his set shot from 40.
Nixon Hall then followed up with a snap from the boundary, and when Jaxon Notman, also a fine contributor all day, goaled late in the first half, it was an inaccurate Yinnar who led by 15 points at the main change.
With nine of the 11 goals coming at one end, you could be excused for thinking there was a wind advantage, but there was actually none to speak of.
And so it was proved after the main break, where Yinnar continued on its merry way with another half-a-dozen majors while keeping Thorpdale to a solitary goal.
The home sides goal came via Pickering, who took a handball receive and set sail from 50. HIs efforts were all in vain though, with Jacobsen and youngster Harvey McKay playing the roles of providers to Grinstead-Jones and Will Robertson for Yinnar, who went bang bang.
Even Dean Linton, who must have lost his GPS, found himself on the goal kickers list after a surge forward.
After Linton was relocated from whence he came, normal services resumed, with Geary hitting Pratt who goaled, and then Notman found Jacobsen who added his name to the goal kickers list.
When big Jesse Bowe wrapped his mitts around the Sherrin in the goal square and goaled on the three quarter time hooter, the visitors were up by a neat eight goals at the final change.
Thorpdale didn’t deserve a flogging based on their effort, and when they slotted the first of the last term via Trav Pattern, who dobbed one from 50 on the run, hopes were high that a comeback of sorts was on the cards.
When they kicked the second of the term with a kick off the ground by Mitch Gorman, the lads at the bar found voice.
Sadly though for them, it was not to be, with Pratt and Will Robertson countering out those two goals with one each for the visiting side.
The siren sounded to see them 52 point winners, however, looking at it from 35 scoring shots to 13 is a little more accurate. As recorded by Gippsland FM stats man Sam Crane, they won 86 to 41 based on inside 50s.
Best players to my eye for Yinnar were Schill, Harri McColl and Clancy Mills, all, interestingly enough, are aged 21 and under and all home grown talents.
Bowe was good in the ruck against Gavin Low, and most others chimed in as required with Jacobsen, Di Virgilio, Geary and Hall perhaps down on numbers of possessions, but it is fair to say when they use the ball, it tends to stay with their side.
For Thorpdale, Jeremiah Jones was good early, Anthony Rosato, who appeared troubled by injury, gave a huge contest, Pattern had plenty of it, as did the Patullo lads (Jacob and Jessse).
Pickering keeps on doing what he does, and Milsom was tidy in the back half.
Taylor said of Thorpdale’s result that it was a “disappointing day after a positive start”.
On that fast start, Taylor said “we were winning it out of the midfield and playing a bit of surge footy which meant we were able to hit the scoreboard”. He continued however that “after quarter time it was all one way traffic, with Yinnar’s leg speed, spread, overlap run off half back and ball use the major difference between the two sides”.
The coach added that he “could not question the boys effort” and that his team was “out-played by a very good side”.
Yinnar coach Sam McCulloch also referenced Thorpdale’s fast start, saying “we knew Thorpdale would respond strongly after last week and come out with plenty of intensity” noting that “they made the most of their early forward entries, capitalised on their opportunities, and took a handy lead into quarter time”.
The Yinnar brains trust got together at the break and in McCulloch’s words “made a few adjustments and were able to gain control of the game in the second quarter, carrying that momentum through the second half”.
The coach was “very pleased with the way the group steadied and adapted when challenged” adding that they “generated plenty of scoring opportunities, although our conversion in front of goal is an area we’ll continue to focus on over the coming weeks” in reference to their final total if just 14 goals from 35 scoring shots.
Mirboo North 8.10 (58) def Morwell East 6.9 (45)
IN a tightly fought contest, Mirboo North prevailed over Morwell East 8.11 (59) to 6.10 (46) at Walter Tuck Reserve.
Neither side was able to assert its superiority for long periods, however the home side overcame a slow start to get the win.
Morwell East may well rue its early inaccuracy that saw them kick only two goals from its five first quarter scoring shots.
Mirboo North banged on four goals to one in the second term to take a five point lead into the sheds at halftime.
The Tigers’ second term saw four individual goal kickers do the damage, with Riley Oddy, Joe Brooks, Hayden Potts and Tobias McDuffie all getting among the action.
Once they found the front, Mirboo North didn’t give up the lead but couldn’t quite shake off the persistent Hawks.
Potts and Oddy kicked three and two respectively, with Beau Peters, Hudson Kerr and Hayden Barnes their better players.
For Morwell East, Cain Iorangi was the only multiple goal kicker for the day, with John Conquest in only his second game for the club, Bailey Galante and Eric Semler their best.
Hawks coach Ben Marks said post-game that despite “a few momentum swings during the day, we fell short which was very disappointing”.
On a more positive note however, he was happy to acknowledge his side was “improving week on week which is the pleasing part”.
His opposite number, Damien Turner, referenced Morwell East’s fast start, saying “Morwell East really came out of the blocks and established an early lead” before adding that he was pleased his side “remained composed and stuck to the process” with “discipline and effort” the keys to the narrow advantage the home side had at the long break.
At the break, Turner “moved a few magnets” and with his side “capitalising on moments and maintaining pressure” they were able to produce their better football in the second half.
“It was fantastic to welcome back three players from long-term injuries. Getting valuable minutes into them and seeing them come through unscathed was a huge positive,” he added.
MDU 18.6 (114) def Boolarra 10.9 (69)
IN the battle of the Demons, it was the home side, Meeniyan Dumbalk United, who were to the fore, racking up a 45 point win over Boolarra, 18.6 (114) to 10.9 (69).
MDU started quickly and had four majors on the board before Boolarra had even troubled the scorers.
They finished the first term with an accurate five goals straight while Boolarra, as has been their want all year, continued to burn their chances, finishing with 2.3 (15) from the same number of shots.
After the first break, MDU put the foot down, kicking the game’s next four goals, and stretched its lead out to 45 points, before Boolarra kicked a late goal to get the margin back to 39 points at the long break.
With the game all but gone, Boolarra stuck with their higher ranked opponents in the second half, kicking seven goals to eight over the course of the third and fourth quarters.
Pat Kerr again led the way for MDU with half-a-dozen. Trent McRae, Steve Forrester and Sam Wilson joined him among the better players.
Matt Devon again led the charge for Boolarra, with the little big man slotting four of his sides 10 goals for the day. It wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the Demon’s best though, with co-captains Mason Porykali and Joel Mason joining coach Brendan Mason as the better performers for the runner-up.
Postmatch, Mason commented that he was “really happy with the way the boys responded from our game last week” before adding that he felt his side was simply “outclassed” on the day by an opposition that “took all their opportunities in front of goal kicking eight straight before kicking their first behind.”
Mason also noted he was somewhat hamstrung by injury on the day being “down to one on the bench after halftime with defender Joel Rasmus injuring a hamstring and Tarmah Litle looking to have done an ACL”.
His counterpart, Rhett Kelly, commented after the match “it was another great day for football, and I am pleased to get back on the winners’ list”.
It was not all smooth sailing for the winning side though, with Kelly adding “Boolarra pressured us at different stages of the game, and we didn’t adjust as much as I would have liked when the momentum had swung their way” adding that his side “allowed them to move the ball too easily at times.”
Kelly noted he was “extremely pleased with the even contribution from the lads over the last few weeks” which he feels is a sign that “we are not reliant on only a few”.
When asked what his focus would be over the league bye, Kelly was quick to respond “we will continue to focus on our defence across the entire ground.”
It is a sign last year’s fourth-placed side is far from the finished product in season 2026 yet.
Stony Creek 10.5 (65) def Toora 9.4 (58)
A FAST-finishing Toora gave up too much of a start to run down home side Stony Creek in a cracking contest.
Stony Creek chalked up win number two for the season, 10.5 (65) to 9.4 (58) in a clash that went right down to the wire.
With just a straight kicks advantage going into the third term, the home side put the foot down and skipped out to a 25 point lead at the last break after keeping Toora scoreless for the term.
But with Tex Dyson firing up front, he finished with three, and Nick Quint and Jake Smart slotting a pair each, the Magpies got back within seven points in a nail-biting final term.
Lachi Smart and Josh Halsall were among Toora’s best in a gallant but ultimately fruitless effort which sees them slip to last spot on the ladder.
For Stony Creek, Luke Firth again led the way with three majors, while Tully Bernaldo kicked two goals.
Young gun Angus McInnes was best-on for the winners, with Liam Harrington and Tyler Neal also among the stronger contributors.
Stony Creek coach Troy Shepherdson said after his sides win “we had a very determined Toora come to town today. They came ready to play, and with early injuries we really had to dig deep to hold on.”
Shepherdson continued that he was “very proud of the boys battling through with no bench after halftime” and that the win was “reward for effort” for his team.
HILL END had the bye.
