ON a day of premiership celebrations for Tyntynder, the current crop of Bulldogs pressed their own finals credentials by moving back inside the top five with a hard-fought 11-point win over arch-rivals Swan Hill.
The Swans threw everything at the Bulldogs in a pulsating last quarter, with Tyntynder kicking the last three goals of the game to run out 11.12.78 to 10.7.67 winners.
After a scrappy first three quarters, the game opened up over the final 30 minutes as both teams went goal for goal in an all-out effort to gain the ascendency. After going into the final break trailing by four points, it was Swan Hill who jumped out of the blocks, with goals by Brendan Blackmore and Toby Thoolen in the opening five minutes sending a scare through the Doggies’ camp.
Jason Eagle, after a competitive duel with Tom Spicer all day, was able to get off the chain with three last-quarter goals – including the one that put his team in front just before time-on – before Tom Bull iced the game with a clever snap in the dying minutes.
Before the entertaining last quarter came 90 minutes of tough football, with both teams at times finding it difficult to hit targets and move the ball forward with any consistency in trying conditions.
Swan Hill in particular had constant issues with turning the ball over, particularly when coming out of defence – with two of Tyntynder’s three second-quarter goals coming directly from turnovers.
The Dogs were guilty of the same offence, but it was their ability to run and break the lines that would often open up the game and they looked the more dangerous of the teams in the first half.
The problem was their inability to hurt the Swans on the scoreboard, with Josh Stone’s men having 13 scoring shots to six before half-time, yet leading by just 12 points at the main break.
The second half was similar, although the intensity around the contest went up a notch as Swan Hill started to regain the momentum through the early stages of the third quarter.
Matthew Wade was dominant both through the midfield and up forward, with the Swans co-coach trying valiantly to lift his side to a season-defining win all day.
Cooper Angus was another strong performer through the midfield for the Swans. Jarvis Keogh played well as the conduit between defence and attack, as did Brendan Blackmore when he was swung forward.
The issue for the visitors was their lack of a consistent target up forward, as Keogh, Toby Thoolen, Kal Heslop and Wade were all used in that role, but struggled to find themselves in one-on-one contests against the well organised Bulldogs back six.
Tyntynder were well served by Tom Sala and Marcus Wattie through the middle, who both had the ball on a string at times. Elia Ware put in another good performance in the ruck while Brodie Bennett had one of his best games in Bulldogs colours, rotating between the midfield and up forward.
The only negative to come for the home side was Elliott Broad’s departure from the ground in the last quarter with concussion.
VOTES
3 – Matthew Wade (Swan Hill)
2 – Tom Sala (Tyntynder)
1 – Marcus Wattie (Tyntynder)
MATCH RESULTS
SENIORS
TYNTYNDER 2.3 5.8 6.10 11.12.78
SWAN HILL 3.1 4.2 6.6 10.7.67
GOALS – TYNTYNDER – Jason Eagle 5, Brodie Bennett 3, Marcus Wattie 2, Tom Bull 1.
SWAN HILL – Kal Heslop, Tom Pontell, Toby Thoolen 2, Cooper Angus, Brendan Blackmore, Xavier Mertz, Matthew Wade 1.
BEST – TYNTYNDER – Elia Ware, Tom Sala, Jason Eagle, Brodie Bennett, Marcus Wattie, Ben Hallam.
SWAN HILL – Matthew Wade, Jarvis Keogh, Brendan Blackmore, Cooper Angus, Leighton Dullard, Xavier Moloney.
RESERVES
TYNTYNDER 2.10 5.11 11.16 13.19.97
SWAN HILL 0.1 2.3 2.3 3.4.22
GOALS – TYNTYNDER – Josh Dwyer 6, Reece Collins 3, Sean Atkinson, Craig Maxwell, Coby Mitchell, unknown player 1.
SWAN HILL – Aidan Grinham 2, Oscar Hier 1.
BEST – TYNTYNDER – Reece Collins, Joshua Dwyer, Trevor Firebrace, Sean Atkinson, Hugh Broad, unknown player.
SWAN HILL – Lachlan Joyce, Benjamin Pearse, Matthew Pearse, George Martin, Josh Brooks, Hayden Richards.
COLTS
TYNTYNDER 1.2 6.4 8.5 10.10.70
SWAN HILL 0.5 1.6 4.7 5.9.39
GOALS – TYNTYNDER – Patrick Blake 4, Liam White 3, Harrison Kelly, Zachary Kelly, Dante Miliano 1.
SWAN HILL – Conner Arif, Wilhem Bennett, Taj McMillan, Steven Polglase-Hincksman, Jude Seymour 1.
BEST – TYNTYNDER – Liam White, Liam Drummond, Patrick Blake, Akasha Jenkins-Jaiswal, Eddy Schifferle, Wilhelm Hawkins.
SWAN HILL – Conner Arif, Taj McMillan, Shaun Kirby, Lachlan Vrolijks, Makwi Dhelbai, Jude Seymour.
UNDER 14.5
TYNTYNDER 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2.2
SWAN HILL 2.4 5.5 10.5 10.5.65
GOALS – TYNTYNDER – not available.
SWAN HILL – Steven Polglase-Hincksman 3, Samuel Brown, Bodhi Kelly 2, Sonny Beasy, Seamus Doherty, Darcy Uebergang 1.
BEST – TYNTYNDER – Patrick Blake, Codi McDonald, Austin Wilson, John Eade, Tyler McDonald, Jackson Hughes.
SWAN HILL – Steven Polglase-Hincksman, Paddy Hufer, Cody McIntyre, Seamus Doherty, Hugh Langley-Sheldrick, Bodhi Kelly.
