Bloods win ugly
It may not have been pretty, but it was a win nonetheless, Trafalgar edging out Thorpdale late in the match to win by nine points, 6-8 (44) to 5-5 (35).
The show was always expected to roll on for the Bloods, their “team first” mantra, with only the one blemish for the year welcoming a side to their home ground who were starting to feel the effects of a growing injury list.
Trafalgar had set the standard in the Anzac Day clash against the Blues earlier in the season and were out to repeat the dose.
The match pretty much started out as expected, with the home side jumping out to an early lead, a thirteen point margin at quarter time not indicating in any way the arm wrestle that was to follow.
With some straight running, hard at ball and body football, Thorpdale managed to bridge the gap back to eleven at half time and were starting to come at the Bloods in a big way
The efforts of the Blues, Gavin Low, the Atkinson boys Jake and Brad, Luke Collie, Phillip Bennett and Kane Saliba had the visitor up and about in the third quarter, the conditions favouring the side most desperate for the ball, and for this 30 minutes it was the visitor who had fought hard to have the game locked away at 29-points a piece as the two top five sides started the final quarter.
This is when Trafalgar responded and did what they had to do, their better players Damian Mann, Daniel Puglia, Noonan, Jamie Hines, Tyson Leys and Brad Hamilton leading the way for the Bloods to grab yet another victory, albeit ugly and probably a bit lucky. Boolarra v Yarragon Yarragon proved they are a side that is better than their ladder position suggests, with a comfortable 70-point victory over Boolarra 12-12 (84) to 2-2 (14).
Opportunities for success have been few and far between for Boolarra over the past couple of seasons, but there was no question that the Demons had this one earmarked as a possibility.
Getting a start and setting a toe for a match is absolutely crucial in any form of sport, be it elite, or yes even country footy.
So probably most disappointing in this encounter was that Yarragon were the side to do it, and not the demons.
The Panthers had the home side crushed by quarter time with a better than five goal lead.
By half time that margin was out to more than eight goals and the match was effectively over.
The visitor best served by Michael Whyte, Andrew Budge, Brad Wolfe, Paul Carmody, Shane Smith, and Brock Neve.
Yarragon’s eighth position on the Mid Gippsland Football League ladder probably doesn’t do it justice, given the Panthers have actually managed to push many of the topsides in the competition.
Boolarra to its credit didn’t fold into a heap and give it up later in the day, when they may have been excused for doing so, but they also would have liked to have competed harder and for longer, given they were confronted by a side just a few places above them on the ladder.
For the Demons Matt Windsor, James Holmes, Sam Mazou, Jessie Giardina, Thomas Beamish, and Daniel Wilson did what they could, but it wasn’t enough to beat a side that simply had to many contributors, refected somewhat in the Panthers goal scorers, of which there were eight
It may have only been a win against a side that is yet to win a game, but it is also an indication that a victory against a side above them is only just around the corner.
Yallourn-Yallourn North v Hill End
It was a businessmen like performance by the Bombers, defeating the Rovers, 11-8 (74) to 2-2 (14).
To have any chance to of success against Yallourn-Yallourn North at home, you first of all need a full list to pick from, a few lucky bounces during the afternoon, a couple of favourable decisions from the umpires and it wouldn’t hurt to make the most of every opportunity and kick accurately as well.
This was not going to be Hill End’s day.
Yallourn-Yallourn north did, what Yallourn-Yallourn North do, and got themselves off to a great start and in the blink of an eye the game was over by half time.
What makes the Bombers such a force is the amount of contributors it has each and every week, and even when a key player or even a couple of key players might be down , there is enough talent in the team for others to step up and not only do their bit, but also fill a gap that might be opening up in another area.
This week the better players included Lachlan Little, Luke Webber, Tyler Brown, Connor Hughes, Elliot De Carli and Stephen Pearson, but next week these half a dozen players might not be in the top six, but they would have played their part in securing another team win.
You then throw in a couple of goal kickers, like Dean MacDonald, who this week just got the three, and the talented brothers Connor and Kennan Hughes with two apiece, and you pretty much have the formula for a side that is sure to be threatening for a premiership in just a couple of months time.
Hill End, shouldn’t be forgotten however, as their hard work would largely go unnoticed, because the hard work is in rolling up each and every week, wih so many first choice players unavailable.
The Rovers do it and they don’t shirk the contest, with better players this week led by Josh Hecker, Liam Fitzpatrick, Justin Rea, Robert Fiddelaers and Dillon Clark. Newborough v Yinnar In the biggest upset of the 2018 MGFL season, Newborough grinded to a two goal victory over Yinnar 3-6 (24) to 1-6 (12).
This was “that” match for Newborough, their last glimmer of hope of keeping in touch with the top five reliant on success against one of the most respected and consistent teams in the competition, Yinnar.
In testing conditions the Magpies were finding it hard to find the goals, there five scoring shots in the first quarter, all behinds, would prove to be costly later in the afternoon.
It was a win against the odds and in conditions that were less than ideal, but they were conditions that both sides had to deal with and on this day it was Newborough, that did it best and secured the best win of the season to date. Mirboo North v Morwell East Mirboo North did the job they had to do and did it in comfortable fashion against Morwell East, 11-12 (78) to 3-9 (27).
This was D-Day for the Hawks, just a half game our of the MGFL top five, a win for Morwell East would have them replace Mirboo North in fifth position and at the same time, be in control of their own destiny.