AN 11-goal-to-one second half has seen the Mallee Eagles run away with a 91-point win over an outclassed Swan Hill at the weekend.
After holding a 28-point lead at half-time, the Eagles dominated the second half, kicking four unanswered goals in the third quarter to open a 55-point lead and put the result to bed, despite Swan Hill also enjoying patches of control.
Seven unanswered goals to end the match highlighted the visitors dominance in the 20.14 (134) to 6.7 (43) win, with the Mallee Eagles moving six points clear of Woorinen in third position and taking a stranglehold on the double chance.
The only concern for the Eagles would be injuries to key players Brent Macleod (hamstring) and Clinton Cummins (back), coming from the field either side of quarter-time and both spending the last three terms on the side lines.
Both players had been dominant, with Macleod a clear best on ground in the first quarter after winning countless possessions all over the field and Cummins strong across half-back.
Their absence from the game opened the door for Swan Hill in the second term, with the Swans working hard to get back into the contest after conceding the first four goals of the match within the opening 10 minutes.
Jose Miliado worked hard up forward to provide the home side with a spark along with Ned McKeown, who’s injection into the middle gave Swan Hill some strength around the contest that had been missing.
Their work, combined with Michael Herlihy’s class, Nyawi Moore’s run from defence and Jarvis Keogh’s defensive strength helped the Swans hold the Eagles to within a five-goal margin at half-time.
The Eagles took control after the main break, however, with Harry Allen putting on a clinic around the stoppages and showing why he is still considered one of the league’s premier midfielders at his best.
Allen’s contested work was something to marvel and was one of the few players to produce a genuine four quarter effort, but the second-half performance from his forwards impressed the Eagles co-coach the most when talking on Central Murray Live post-match.
“Our second half was much better, we tidied some things up structurally (at half-time) and that was good enough for us to win it,” Allen said.
“It’s always pleasing when you have a good win and you have a few contributors up forward as well.
“Darcy (Hourigan) and Andrew (Mead-Harding) were sensational and gave us a really strong presence forward of the footy.”
Hourigan finished as the game’s leading goalscorer with six majors, and was a constant aerial threat all afternoon, while Mead-Harding did most of his damage in the second half, kicking all five of his goals after the main break.
Paul Davis was another key target and was dominant in the first half before drifting out of the game, while Jonah Devlin was another who provided the Swans defence with headaches as a small lead-up forward, with the Mallee Eagles forward line starting to click ahead of this year’s finals series.
The Eagles ability to win the contested ball once again shone through, and although they are still a work in progress with their outside run, they were much better on the outside in the second half thanks to Troy Anderson, Harry McGregor, Beau Bennett and Logan Nalder.
The visitors were well served in defence by Jayden Post and Joe Halloran, with Post able to impact with his intercept marking, although Swan Hill’s lack of a genuine marking forward considerably helped their cause.
The Eagles will return to Lalbert this Saturday to take on reigning premiers Kerang in a highly anticipated match that will decide the top three, while Swan Hill will host a rejuvenated Cohuna Kangas in another game with huge finals ramifications.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Swan Hill | 2.2 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 43 |
| Mallee Eagles | 6.2 | 9.6 | 13.11 | 20.14 | 134 |
VOTES
3 – Harry Allen (Mallee Eagles)
2 – Darcy Hourigan (Mallee Eagles)
1 – Troy Anderson (Mallee Eagles)
