MACORNA 8.3 (51) lost to NULLAWIL 28.11 (179)
A STUNNING 20 goal to three first half set up Nullawil for another dominant win on Saturday.
The Maroons, with their midfield in complete control, took Macorna apart to lead by 105 points at half-time, but to the Tigers credit, they didn’t capitulate after the break.
The more talented Nully outift only outscored Macorna by 24 points in the second half, giving the Tigers something positive to take into this weekend’s clash against Hay.
Nullawil coach Brett Barker admitted he was delighed with his team’s first 60 minutes.
“We did all the work in the first half really, which sort of set ourselves up – in fact, that first half was about as good a footy as we’ve played all season really,” Barker said.
“It was our best half of footy we’ve played just because of the selfless style that everyone played with – even though we were winning quite easily at times, everyone normally tries to get in the forward line and snag a goal which can sometimes turn things into a bit of a scrap, but that didn’t happen in the first half at least.”
Andrew Oberdorfer returned to the Nullawil forward line after missing last week and kicked a game high eight goals – while fellow forwards Josh Bamford and Angus Forrester also proved difficult to control kicking four each as well.
Bendigo Pioneers listed player Patrick Kelly also returned and put in a best on ground performance through the midfield alongside another solid contributor on the day in Matt Quigley – while Jordan Humphreys and Dylan Joyce were also named among the Maroons better players.
For Macorna, Tyler Hird was adjudged their best, while Chris Wilson, Fergus Bear, Kieren Shelley, Bradley Jones and half back Kansas Varker also performed well, particularly in the second half.
Barker knows there will be bigger challenges awaiting his side – starting with this weekend against third-placed Moulamein.
“They (Moulamein) are the only team we haven’t played yet and to be honest, they’re a bit of an unknown for us – we only played them once last season and their team has changed considerably over the last couple of seasons,” Barker said.
“We’re clearly one of the better sides this season – but one of the challenges for us is trying to find the motivation still to keep doing the right things each week and not fall into bad habits.
“Even though we’re obviously playing pretty well, we know the challenges will come – Quambatook will be a lot stronger than when we played them in round one for example, so we just have to make sure were doing the right things and not getting complacent.”
Macorna will look to arrest their three-game losing streak against Hay, who are the team directly below them on the ladder.
QUAMBATOOK 17.20 (122) defeated MURRABIT 7.3 (45)
A BRILLIANT nine goal haul from key forward Nick Mason highlighted Quambatook’s 77-point win over Murrabit at home.
The Saints led at every change to peel off their fifth straight victory – further cementing their top two credentials in the process.
Murrabit stayed in touching distance of the Saints in the first quarter, but Quamby did appear the better side and just needed to take their chances to break the game open.
In the second quarter, that is exactly what happened, as the Saints piled on six goals to one to hold a commanding 48-point advantage at half time.
With Mason dominating up forward, the Saints had the perfect target for midfielders Gregor Knight, Jordan Lampi and Ricky Wild.
The Blues on the other hand were well served by Tom Copland, while midfielders Nathan O’Toole, Marc O’Neill, Darcy Grant and Yantse Kinsey-Smith all found their share of the ball.
HAY 8.13 (61) lost to MOULAMEIN 14.12 (96)
A 10 goal to three first half helped Moulamein secure a 35-point win over Hay at the weekend – moving the Swans three games clear inside the top four.
Despite their inaccuracy, the Lions outscored Moulamein after the main break, but the damage had already been done – with the visitors eventually claiming a 14.12 (96) to 8.13 (61) victory.
Four goals from Swans veteran Nathan Buckley helped secure the four points, along with another strong midfield performance from the in-form Ely Miller and Rodney Reeves – while Daniel Aarsman, Jacob Thorne, Mason Bailey and Luke Hall were also among Moulamein’s better players.
Lions key defender James Eddy was his team’s best player, along with Alex Schipp, Brad Pocock, Liam Whitbourne and veteran Dean Aylett. Hugh Crighton continued his good form in the ruck – getting the better in a one-on-one battle against Moulamein coach Heath Moloney.
WANDELLA 14.19 (103) defeated ULTIMA 3.7 (25)
A seven-goal performance from Wandella coach Logan Keighran has helped lead his team to a dominant 78-point win over Ultima on Saturday.
The Bombers didn’t have it all their own way, with the Roos jumping out of the blocks to lead by eight points at the first break. That was where the joy ended for the visitors, however, as Wandella piled on nine unanswered goals over the second and third terms to take complete control – eventually running away with a comfortable 14.19 (103) to 3.7 (25) victory.
Ultima went into the game undermanned, with key players Jamie Nicholas, Mitch Seton-Stewart, Jacob Schaper, Ryan Devereux and Phillip Bennett all missing from last weeks’ side.
While Ultima were able to break even around the stoppages, the Bombers were fair more effective with their disposals, moving the ball far easier than their opponents – with turnovers killing them between the arcs.
Alex Kirby dominated off half back, as did Mitch Collins and Darren Rushton through the middle and Brad Delamare and Kane Timmins on the wings. For the Roos, Riley Haberman played his part in keeping Matthew Wilkinson goalless when the Bombers gun went forward – while Kyle Symons, Angus Hinton, Quinn Grey and new recruit Sean O’Reilly were also among their better players.
