Hill End lock in finals spot
Rob Popplestone
by
Finals positions - in fact, finals lives - were on the line in round 15 of Mid Gippsland football, with all five games impacting what lies ahead.
Hill End v Yinnar
Of all the sides outside the top six, Yinnar would quite possibly be the most dangerous if given the chance to take part in finals. The Magpies have mixed it with, and beaten, some of the best only to be cruelly beaten on a handful of occasions by less than a kick.
Those close losses during the season not only denied them a position much further up the ladder, but also had them fighting for their lives against Hill End on the weekend.
The Magpies did it again, Hill End winning narrowly 7.8-50 to Yinnar 7.6-48.
Hill End coach Mike Santo said his team played patches of really good footy, but overall believed Yinnar outworked them over the four quarters.
“They (Yinnar) came home hard and they played like their season was on the line,” Santo said. “We only did in patches, which was disappointing.”
“Some individual brilliance from Aaron Fawcett and Ambu Uliando allowed us to get the win over a hungrier team.
“Although we don’t have the budgets of the Newborough’s and Foster’s of the league, talent still isn’t our issue. It’s concentration and a desire to work harder than the opponents.
“In saying that, it’s really encouraging to lock in a finals spot with that win,” Santo said.
Yinnar coach Daniel Taylor couldn’t fault his team’s effort on Saturday.
“We brought a negative game plan as I knew it was the only way we could hang in there,” Taylor said. “To the boys’ credit, they stuck to it and it kept us in the game.”
“Unfortunately, it’s our third loss in a row by under a kick. Really proud of the boys’ effort but unfortunately we came up short. That’s footy.”
“We crawl into the bye which is really needed. We should get eight or nine blokes back, but we’re now relying on results to go our way which is never how you want it to be.”
The Rovers can certainly plan for finals with some certainty, while the Magpies have some work to do.
Thorpdale v Morwell East
Morwell East arrived at Thorpdale confident of success but, more importantly, wanting to play the style of footy that would have them competitive against the better teams of the MGFNL.
Hit and miss for most of the season, the Hawks’ inconsistency had put in doubt their chances of a place in finals.
However, Morwell East delivered a clear message they want to play finals football, scoring 18.7-121 to Thorpdale’s 9.7-61.
“We wanted to take control early and luckily we did just that,” Morwell East coach Devon Soutar said.
“Despite a mediocre second quarter, we were able to put the game to bed early in the third, which gave us enough breathing room to somewhat cruise to the line.”
The pressure remains on the Hawks as they continue to fight fiercely for a finals position, while for Thorpdale the frustration of not being able to put together four full quarters remains.
“Some great passages of footy, but once again can’t sustain it longer than a quarter,” Thorpdale coach Ray Pickering said. “When we stick to the plan, we can more than hold our own.”That remains the secret for the Blues as they head towards season’s end. Teams shouldn’t be taking Thorpdale too easy, as they are capable of bobbing their head up when you least expect it.
Fish Creek v MDU
Fish Creek’s chances of competing in the finals were very slim, almost nil, prior to their clash with MDU on the weekend.
All that was needed by the Kangaroos to keep the dream alive was to keep winning, and that is exactly what they did, Fish Creek 12.8-80 to MDU 9.5-59.
“Terrific to win a close one this week,” a satisfied Fish Creek coach John Danckert said. “Really pleased for the boys. It’s been a frustrating year, but to hit some form late is reward for some hard work.”
Although it seems that the Kangaroos’ run has come a little late, at least it’s there and a tremendous foundation from which to build a 2023 season.
MDU too, it must be said, continues to show all the signs of a side on the way up.
Coach Peter Harris reflected on a “cracking game of footy”.
“Unfortunately, we made some skill errors that Fishy were able to capitalise on late,” Harris said. “Boys played a great brand of footy that we should be proud of. Need the bye next week with plenty of sore boys after today’s contest.” Newborough v Foster
With a fair bit of heat below both teams, a win was crucial as the Tigers arrived at the Kennel.
The clash didn’t disappoint, with the visitors surprising the home side favourites with a 27-point victory, 17.11-131 to 12.14-86.
Foster coach Sam Davies said it was a big day for his side against a very good Newborough.
“It took a quarter to get the play on our terms, but I thought we were super for quarters two, three and four,” reflected Davies. “It’s nice for the playing group to see what our best looks like. Discipline and experience adds up.”
The good news for Foster spells danger for Newborough, with the Bulldogs dropping from second spot to third, and some work to do over the next few weeks.
After another good start, Newborough coach Craig Skinner felt his team had control of the game early.
“Maybe that was the problem, because midway through the second quarter there was a momentum shift,” Skinner said. “At half-time, we knew we were going to be in a fight after losing Zac Skinner for the day and struggling to find answers as to why we were being beaten in so many areas of the ground. Sam and Foster earned their win today and have some serious firepower up forward now. They will be the most dangerous come finals.”
Stony Creek v Toora
Stony Creek were under no illusions as to what was required in their clash with Toora, it was win or nothing. A win to keep them in touch with the top six, a loss and it was all over.
The Lions, hoping some above them falter under the pressure and provide an unlikely opportunity for them to pounce, scored a convincing victory, 20.20-140 to Toora’s 5.5-35.
We were able to control a lot of play,” reflected Stony Creek coach Jay Accardi. “But, if you take the scoreline out of it, to the Toora boys’ credit they didn’t give up and had a real dip all match. The job gets a fair bit tougher next week when we head to Tarwin.”
An unlikely win against Tarwin, would have the Lions well positioned to steal a spot late in the league’s top six.
The Magpies, on the other hand, didn’t expect a lot going into the game, but it is probably fair to say they expected more than what they got.
“Taking an undermanned side in to Stony Creek was always going to present a challenge, and it proved true on the weekend,” Toora coach Matthew Ponton said. “Our effort and two way running picked up in the second half, but our skills were poor to say the least and we didn’t pressure our opponents up to the standard of senior football. All in all, a poor day from our side.”
Best players for Toora included Jake McFarland, Jake Weston and Jessie Biemans, but the Magpies still need plenty more contributors to win games.
BYE: Boolarra, Mirboo North and Tarwin.
Next week (home side named first):
Fish Creek v Foster;
Mirboo North v Boolarra; Morwell East v Hill End; Newborough v Thorpdale; and Tarwin v Stony Creek.
Bye: MDU, Toora and Yinnar.