AN inaccurate Kerang have survived a late season scare, defeating a determined Koondrook-Barham by 28 points in a come-from-behind victory at Riverside Park on Saturday.
It took an old fashioned half-time spray from Kerang coach Troy Coates for the reigning premiers to click into gear, with the Blues going into the main break trailing by six points after kicking 2.11 in the first half.
“We were horrendous to be brutally honest,” Coates said post-match. We were flat and probably thinking it was just going to happen for us.
“I gave them a bit of a spray at half-time and they responded, but we have a fair bit of work ahead of us before finals get here.
“Full credit to Koondrook-Barham, they had a red hot crack, especially in the first half and really took it up to us.
“We came out and kicked seven straight goals in the third quarter to put it away, but we were really poor before that point.
“I’ve got no doubt we have a side that can win it, but we need everything going our way too.
“I think our list has been a bit stronger in previous years but we’re still a good chance, as long as we improve and get back to playing our best footy.”
Although it was far from Kerang’s best performance, they still managed to take home the four points in the 10.19 (79) to 7.9 (51) victory.
It was the third quarter that proved telling for the Blues, who kicked seven unanswered goals to turn the six point deficit into a 42-point lead.
Kerang remain on top of the Central Murray ladder and are odds on favourites to claim their third straight minor premiership, with the Blues needing to win one of their final two matches against the Mallee Eagles and Swan Hill to secure top spot.
It was a win that came at a cost for the reigning premiers however, with Troy Coates set to enter concussion protocols after being concussed in the final quarter of the match, while captain Josh Nitschke will be in some doubt for Saturday’s game against the Eagles after spending the final quarter on the bench with ice on his hamstring.
Although it was a disappointing display from Kerang, it was an equally impressive performance from Koondrook-Barham, who outscored their more fancied rivals in three of the four quarters.
The Raiders were strong around the contested and more than held their own at the stoppages, with Billy Driscoll and Jack Shannon outshining the Blues onballers for large portions of the match.
Jack Thrum was another strong contributor for Koondrook-Barham with his clean disposal and solid decision making seeing him also among the better players on the ground, along with key forward Kye Attwell, James Martin and Tom Amor.
It was the household names who continued to shine for the Blues, with Lachlan Ross and Jesse Clark continuing their good form across half back, while Nick Lang dominated in the ruck.
Nitschke was also named among Kerang’s best for the seventh consecutive game, with Marty Kelly and Sean Hunter also among the Blues better contributors.
Koondrook-Barham will be hoping to avoid going winless for a second straight season when they host Tyntynder in their final match of the season this Saturday, with the Raiders having the bye in final round.
Kerang on the other hand will be looking to sew up top spot against the Mallee Eagles at Lalbert, with midfield stars Sam Heavyside, Josh Hann, Ryan Gillingham and Brett Kennedy all nearing a return from injury ahead of the must-win game.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Kerang | 2.8 | 2.11 | 9.18 | 10.19 | 79 |
| Koondrook-Barham | 3.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 7.9 | 51 |
VOTES
3 – Billy Driscoll (Koondrook-Barham)
2 – Lachlan Ross (Kerang)
1 – Jack Thrum (Koondrook-Barham)
