Bunyip take Riley Harris Cup
Tight scorelines were a huge feature of the Warragul and District Junior Football League this round with many clubs battling out close final quarters.
It was also a day of solidarity with Bunyip and Garfield playing the annual Riley Harris Cup clash.
In memory of a young battler, The Riley Harris Cup was played between Bunyip and Garfield.
Riley’s father John spoke to both sides before the match, reminding them to appreciate their health and happiness and to live life to the fullest. He also spoke of Riley’s hardships in his final months.
Riley commenced his football at Garfield in their U10 Gold team, going on to play in the U12 premiership side a season later. He then moved to Bunyip Football Club where he was commensurate in front of goals.
He was an elite sportsman, representing the state in a cricket side that saw the gifted spin bowler take many a wicket.
Riley was diagnosed with cancer at the age of six and had battled with the crippling disease for most of his life. He died on April 20, 2013.
He lived a full life in such a little amount of time and is a hero to his sporting clubs and the wider community.
The Bunyip and Garfield football clubs hold The Riley Harris Cup annually in memory of a spirited and tenacious young man.
This year saw Bunyip 7-10 (52) defeat Garfield 4-13 (37).
Under 14
Tom Fitzpatrick celebrated 150 games and Brandon Allan made 50 as Bunyip defeated Garfield to claim the Riley Harris Cup.
Warranor’s goal-kicking accuracy improved dramatically in the second quarter giving them a strong lead.
The third quarter was a battle with the Jets pulling back the margin.
Warranor were the better side and pushed through to take the win, 8-3 (51) to 3-4 (22).
The first half of the game was extremely competitive with the Bulls and Colts tussling for the ball across the ground.
Skilled play was high and the Poowong-Loch side put on an impressive display but couldn’t quite match the might of the Colts on the day, 13-10 (88) to 6-7 (43).
Caldermeade broke out of the gates early with two quick goals but the Crows kept them within reach.
The fourth quarter was extremely tight with Caldermeade just hanging on to get the win, 5-15 (45) to 55 (35).
Chilling conditions saw Neerim District and Ellinbank rise to the occasion.
It quickly became a one-sided affair with Ellinbank holding the majority of possession and taking the win, 16-23 (119) to 0-0 (0).
An undermanned Yarragon side, appreciative of a few loan players, faced off against the Warragul Blues.
The Blues kept Yarragon away from taking the lead and ran out winners, 9-9 (63) to 5-6 (36). Kaleb Norton celebrated his 100th game with the win.
Under 12
The classic Bunyip and Garfield clash was heated with Garfield giving a stellar first half effort to put Bunyip on the back foot.
Bunyip recovered slightly in the second with a solid tacking display but couldn’t take the lead away from a more determined Garfield team, who won 5-4 (34) to 0-1 (1).
Tarrant Agnoleto, Jesse Garner, Brock Davis, Beau Merritt, Ben Brasier and Liam O’Connor all celebrated their 50 game milestones.
Drouin controlled the play in the first half, having the majority of possession but couldn’t convert due to some fantastic Warranor defending.
Warranor then snatched the game and were able to break through to take the win 3-1 (19) to 2-1 (13) due to some costly skill errors on Drouin’s part.
The Warragul team were efficient and had a big impact on play with Poowong-Loch struggling to push them away from goals, going down 8-11 (59) to 0-0 (0).
Both sides did their best to control the ball in harrowing conditions. It was an even contest and somehow the Cobras managed to build a small lead.
Going into the final quarter looked to be promising but Hallora squandered their opportunities and just couldn’t topple the Cobras, who won 2-4 (16) to 1-2 (8).
Caldermeade picked up and started scoring in the second half but couldn’t close the gap to Longwarry, who won 6-7 (43) to 4-0 (24).
Neerim District showed great aerobic capacity, pacing the field against an accurate Ellinbank, who stole the game in the second half, 7-5 (47) to 1-0 (6).
Yarragon tried hard to steal the ball but the Blues were all over the field. The second half was all for Warragul as they took the game, 13-12 (90) to 0-0 (0).
Under 10
It was an epic battle between Bunyip and Garfield, the scoreline reflecting that by staying close and low.
Bunyip pounced in the final quarter and took the game in exciting fashion, 2-1 (13) to 1-3 (9).
Warranor tackled hard and took the game to the Jets who came out and worked hard in the final quarter to stave off Warranor and take an extremely close win, 2-0 (12) to 1-4 (10).
The Colts fought back hard but couldn’t trouble Poowong-Loch, although they scored their first goal of the season in going down 5-8 (38) to 1-0 (6).
Tackling and kicking were highlights for Hallora who managed a goal in the third quarter that carried them through to the win, 1-0 (6) to 0-1 (1).
Both Longwarry and Caldermeade played to an excellent standard with strong tackling and marking displayed by the sides.
Longwarry managed to get the bigger score on the day but the Cannons still played with great spirit in going down 4-3 (27) to 0-0 (0).
A large crowd met Neerim Districts and Ellinbank as they played a well-contested game.
Neerim held their formation well, worked as a unit and impressed with a win over a determined Ellinbank side, 3-3 (21) to 1-2 (8).
Warragul responded to Yarragon’s ferocity by booting a few goals in the second quarter.
Yarragon fought hard to recover but could gain the lead, going down to a quality Blues side 4-5 (29) to 12 (8).