BALRANALD breathed life back into their finals aspirations with a 32-point win over Swan Hill at the weekend – and closed to within one win of the top five in the process.
It was the Roos’ first win over the Swans since round 13, 2010. Balranald have now secured consecutive victories after starting the season with three straight losses.
Balranald’s form has done an about-face since the return of full-forward Ben Fuller, whose four goals were again the difference against the Swans on Saturday.
While the Roos’ season has been revived in recent weeks, the same cannot be said for perennial finalists Swan Hill, who find themselves winless after five games and now out of the finals race.
The win was set up in a six-goal burst in the third quarter, with the home side enjoying a 42-point lead at the final break. The Swans fought back early in the last quarter, before Balranald steadied the ship to go on a record a 32-point win.
Balranald co-coach Ben Mahon was quick to heap praise on his team for fighting back after their early losses.
“We were very inaccurate in the first quarter – we probably could have put them away in the first 30 minutes, but we wasted our opportunities a bit and only kicked two goals six,” Mahon said.
While Balranald may have been wasteful in front of goals, they were well on top in general play – so much so that the visitors’ first major didn’t come until time on of the second quarter.
“The third quarter was where we won it as we got on top in the midfield and dominated the clearances,” Mahon said.
“To their credit, they started getting on top early in the last through the middle and kicked two or three quick goals, but we responded by slowing the game down and steadied the ship with a couple of quick ones and then went on with it from there.”
Xavier Moloney, Matt Wade and Toby Thoolen loomed as the danger men early in the final term, with Moloney the beneficiary of the latter’s good work through the middle with two goals.
But Balranald countered through Jydon Neagle off half-back, as well as Colin Andrews and the Salau brothers, Tom and Jack.
“It was a genuine four-quarter, full-team effort that got us the win,” Mahon said.
“Our back line was excellent all day and our midfield was on top for much of the afternoon too, I felt. I know Toby Thoolen was named in their better players but I felt Jordan Wilkins was equally as damaging for us – he was tapping it straight down Colin Andrews’ throat all afternoon, while Drew Lloyd and Connor Soraggi were sensational through the midfield and up forward as well.”
For the second week in a row, Balranald’s co-coach Neagle was the most influential player on the ground – with his run off half-back and ability to intercept on full display in another dominant four-quarter performance.
For Swan Hill, Matthew Wade was prolific as usual through the midfield, while Jarvis Keogh, Xavier Mertz and Hamish Robertson off half-back were solid four-quarter contributors, along with Leighton Dullard, who was playing his first game since the Swans’ loss to Lake Boga in round 3.
VOTES
3 – Jydon Neagle (Balranald)
2 – Tom Salau (Balranald)
1 – Matthew Wade (Swan Hill)
MATCH RESULTS
BALRANALD 2.6 4.8 10.14 13.15.93
SWAN HILL 0.4 1.6 4.8 8.13.61
GOALS – BALRANALD – Ben Fuller 4, Connor Soraggi 3, Colin Andrews 2, Aydn Herman, Drew Lloyd, Jydon Neagle, Harrison Soraggi 1.
SWAN HILL – Matthew Battenally, Xavier Moloney 2, Kallen Heslop, Angus Monk, Matthew Wade, Darcy Ryan 1.
BEST – BALRANALD – Tom Salau, Jydon Neagle, Connor Soraggi, Jack Salau, Colin Andrews, Benjamin Fuller
SWAN HILL – Tobias Thoolen, Matthew Wade, Jarvis Keogh, Leighton Dullard, Xavier Mertz, Hamish Robertson
