Hillsmen drop game to Hawks
Rob Popplestone
by
There have been no pretenders in Mid Gippsland Football, just a whole host of contenders wanting to land in a spot from which to mount a premiership assault.
Morwell East v Hill End
Finals might “officially” start in just three weeks. But many games right now have so much riding on them, they seem to carry all the elements of a final.
There is pressure to win, pressure on players to perform, dire consequences for a loss and, as always, the opportunity to gain an edge on an opponent that you may well meet in a little over a fortnight.
Hill End were fourth and Morwell East fifth, both with no guarantee of holding onto a finals spot.
The heat now falls on Hill End after losing in a nailbiter, Morwell East kicking 11.5-71 to the Rovers’ 9.10-64.
“It was a game full of momentum shifts, so despite having a decent lead a couple of times we never felt totally comfortable,” Morwell East coach Devon Soutar said. “We knew in the last quarter, the Hillmen would want speed on the ball and some clean entry for them made it a super tight finish. Pleasingly we found a spark late to hang on.”
What was a tremendously courageous win for the Hawks, and a heart breaking loss for the Hillsmen.
Hill End coach Mike Santo said the high quality game of footy was fiercely contested.
“Again, we couldn’t put four quarters together, but again proved our best is absolutely good enough,” Santo reflected. “Our accuracy maybe cost us, but (I) don’t want to take any credit away from Devon’s boys, they were really good also. Both ruckmen were outstanding.”
“A week off comes at a good time, followed by a great test before finals against Foster,” he added.
The top six is slowly starting to take shape, but it won’t be complete until the final round. There is still plenty on the line.
Newborough v Thorpdale
Newborough were caught short against a very good Foster side a week ago, and were never going to lose this game at home to Thorpdale.
What was important, however, was how the Bulldogs won. It needed to be quite ruthless for coach Craig Skinner to be assured he has the squad capable of showing little mercy as they head to finals.
They did just that, Newborough scoring 19.17-131 to Thorpdale’s 7.7-49.
“We wanted to play four quarters of football, and we got that,” Skinner said. “We still had a handful of players out, but those that came in did what they needed to do. We also had a chance to look at players in different positions, which gave us a chance to consider different scenarios in the weeks ahead.”
“This competition is so tight, you always have to look for those one percenters that might make a difference,” he added. “Because given the evenness of many of the sides, the tiniest improvements could prove the difference between a win and a loss.”
As the Bulldogs prepare their charge at the finals, the Blues are satisfied with honest performances.
“Our effort was pleasing, especially in the second half when we really made them earn their goals,” Thorpdale coach Ray Pickering said. “But still clearly beaten by a strong, polished Newborough outfit.”
“We look forward to a rest this week, with plenty of sore bodies and recharge for one more effort versus Tarwin,” Pickering added. “The positive attitude and good vibes around the group has been a credit to all our boys.”
At the end of the day, as important as winning is, a coach’s responsibility is to get the very best out of the players he has at his disposal, all the while improving them as footballers on the field and also as men off the field.
Fish Creek v Foster
For Foster, finals were basically locked away prior to their journey to Fish Creek. They needed some fine tuning with a talented squad that is hoping to be even better in a few weeks time.
The home side had nothing to lose, but a giant scalp to take. The question was, could they catch the Tigers napping while they were still short of their best?
The answer was...nearly! Fish Creek kicked 10.9-69 to Foster’s 13-10.88.
“No matter the ladder positions, it’s always tough against Fishy away, and sometimes you just need to win ugly,” Foster coach Sam Davies said. “Beaten in most areas, but really happy with the overall endeavour and ability of the group to absorb the pressure.”
It was probably one that that got away from the Kangaroos.
“We flew out of the blocks today, some inaccuracy in front of goal in the first quarter cost us an early lead,” Fish Creek coach John Danckert said. “The Foster boys were just better for longer today. We showed signs of what might have been for us.”
Mirboo North v Boolarra
With finals hopes gone, Mirboo North had made no secret of the fact they wanted to play the part of the villain and upset the hopes of those sides fighting for finals position.
The Demons are a side well and truly within that brief, and therefore a Tigers’ target.
Mirboo North got a bullseye with a 13-point victory, 10.9-69 to Boolarra 7.14-56.
“To say we are upset is an understatement,” Boolarra coach Tony Giardina said. “If we turn up next week against Newborough the same way, the same will happen.”
The Demons can ill afford that to happen. For the Tigers, the win was too late but nonetheless satisfying.
“Villains we are,” Mirboo North coach Josh Taylor said. “Great win from the boys. Lost a bloke in the first five minutes, and another in the second quarter. So we played one on the bench for two-and-a-half quarters. Few players out also. We dug deep and got the job done.”
The Tigers have hit some form a little too late, and one wonders what they might have done given a finals opportunity.
Next season is already being planned, with the announcement new coach Peter Mongta will take the reins from Josh Taylor after five years.
Tarwin v Stony Creek
As good as Stony Creek’s season has been, it was this match that was going to determine whether their season might be deemed a success, or a failure.
The Lions travelled to Tarwin, well aware that anything short of a win would almost certainly kill off their finals hopes. An unlikely victory might have them surging into contention at just the right time.
Those hopes were dashed after a promising start, the Sharks taking complete control to win 12.17-89 to 3.5-23.
The Sharks were ecstatic to win for one of their favourite players.
Tarwin coach Troy Hemming congratulated Eddie McMicking for the huge milestone of 300 senior games.
“He’s a legend of our club and so respected by everyone at the club,” Hemming said.
“I believe Stony had a bit of an off day, as they have some real talent and I don’t think they played to their best,” he added. “Everyone at Tarwin wishes Kaj Patterson a speedy recovery with an ankle injury that looks pretty bad.”
The loss was disappointing for the Lions who essentially were playing for a finals position.
“We came to Tarwin with everything to play for, but were soundly beaten in all facets of the contest,” Stony Creek coach Jay Accardi said. “Really disappointing from our point of view, but on the flip side Tarwin put in a strong four quarter performance.”
The season isn’t over yet for Stony Creek. But with just two rounds of the home and away season remaining, time is running out quickly.
BYE: MDU, Toora and Yinnar.
Next week’s games (home team named first):
Boolarra v Newborough;
Foster v Stony Creek;
Mirboo North v Morwell East;
Toora v Tarwin; and
Yinnar v MDU.
Bye: Fish Creek, Hill End and Thorpdale.