By Brook Shaune-Bould
THE Cohuna Kangas have continued their incredible start to the season with a 75-point win over Swan Hill at the weekend.
The Kangas dominated from the outset, kicking seven goals to two in the first quarter – but a lack of accuracy up front and strong pressure from Swan Hill limited the damage.
Each team scored three majors in the second quarter, but again Cohuna was plagued with inaccuracy, having 10 shots on goal compared to Swan Hill’s four.
Cohuna’s accuracy improved in the third quarter and they began to run away with the game, booting eight goals to Swan Hill’s two. The Kangas were ahead by 75 points at three-quarter time and looked to be heading towards a 100-point win, but Swan Hill refused to give up – with each team kicking two goals and four points in the final term.
Tom Toma was best on ground for the second week in a row, on top of claiming the mark of the day and four goals. He benefitted from Cohuna’s strong midfield, which consistently delivered scoring opportunities.
Cohuna’s Rhys Free sought to reclaim his spot at the top of the goal kicking table, but pressure from Swan Hill’s backline kept him to three goals. Dylan Johnston also kicked three majors for the Kangas, while Oscar Cooke, Sam McGlone and Daniel Paterson each kicked two. Toby Thoolen was the only multiple goal scorer for Swan Hill and was kept to just two.
Kangas coach Neil Bradley said he was happy with the win, particularly in the face of strong pressure from Swan Hill.
“Hats off to Swan Hill, they’ve got some marvellous players,” he said.
“Our third quarter was extremely good, but we mucked around with the ball a little bit too much.”
He said the team’s accuracy in the forward half was disappointing.
“It was terrible today, but some weeks you get that and other weeks you’re on,” he said.
“Hopefully when we come up against Nyah next week we’ll be on.”
Swan Hill co-coach Darcy Ryan said he was happy with the pressure his team applied.
“I’m proud of the boys,” he said.
“The margin at three-quarter time was 75 and it was 75 at the end of the game – it could have gone really bad for us, but we hung in there pretty well.”
Ryan acknowledged the gap between the two sides, with Cohuna having won five games in a row.
“They’re a really, really good side – they’re fit, they’re tough and they move the ball from point A to point B really quick,” he said.
“They’ve also got two really big key forwards who are hard to handle.”
VOTES
3 – Tom Toma (Cohuna Kangas)
2 – Rhys Free (Cohuna Kangas)
1 – Tom Corridan (Swan Hill)
MATCH RESULTS
SWAN HILL 2.1 5.2 7.3 9.7.61
COHUNA KANGAS 7.3 10.10 18.12 20.16.136
GOALS – SWAN HILL – Angus Monk 2, Toby Thoolen 2, Kallen Heslop, Jarvis Keogh, Xavier Moloney, Tom Spicer, Darcy Ryan 1.
COHUNA KANGAS – Tom Toma 4, Rhys Free 3, Dylan Johnstone 3, Oscar Cooke 2, Sam McGlone 2, Daniel Paterson 2, Daniel Coates, Jack Donat, Jarrod Findlay, Tom Metherell 1.
BEST – SWAN HILL – Hamish Robertson, Jared Halligan, Tobias Thoolen, Matthew Wade, Matthew Battenally, Adam Manning
COHUNA KANGAS – Thomas Toma, Jarrod Findlay, Zac Poole, Tom Metherell, Oscar Cooke, Christopher Anderson
