FIVE unanswered last-quarter goals helped Nyah-Nyah West United secure a 21-point win – the Demons’ third straight – over Swan Hill on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans led by eight points at the final break, only to see their advantage quickly evaporate as the more desperate NNW outfit outworked and outplayed the home side over the final 30 minutes to record a 12.10.82 to 9.7.61 victory.
Brent Arho continued his good form up forward for the Demons, kicking seven goals for the afternoon, five of them coming after half-time.
While a seven-goal haul is a day out, it could have been so much better for the key forward, who kicked 2.5 in the first half, missing a number of gettable set shots.
While Arho was a strong presence in the second half, Kal Heslop was dominant at the other end of the ground with a five-goal haul. Heslop caused the NNW United defence a number of headaches in the first half with his ability to find space on the lead and looked the likely game-breaker early on.
While the match was close and entertaining, with the final margin being the biggest of the day, it wasn’t a contest that rose to any great heights.
Both teams will likely finish in the bottom half of the ladder. They were able to apply great pressure around the contest, but neither side were able to deal with it effectively, butchering their disposal and turning the ball over, often being forced to kick to contested situations.
For the second week in a row, Swan Hill’s inefficient disposal was costly, especially coming out of their defensive 50, with a number of turnovers resulting in goals at crucial moments.
While the clearances were relatively even, the Demons comfortably won the inside-50 count 52 to 36. Corey Daniels and Brady Davidson were major factors in this facet of the game, as were Zack Threadgold and Zac Caccaviello in the first half. Blake Larkings was another strong contributor for NNW United, both with his ruck work and his ability to mark under pressure around the ground.
Matthew Wade was everywhere in the first half for the home side and threatened to tear the game apart, however, his impact on the game lessened in the second half as Davidson kept the Swans joint coach on a tighter rein.
Jarvis Keogh continued to show why he will be a player of the future for Swan Hill, playing as the conduit between defence and attack, while Brendan Blackmore was strong in defence and Tom Spicer was effective as a marking target for the Swans.
NNW United would be well pleased with the four points and leapfrogging Swan Hill on the ladder. But it wasn’t all good news, with Ethan Saville suffering what appeared to be a significant knee injury in the final quarter.
The Swans didn’t escape unscathed, with Xavier Mertz injuring his shoulder in the first quarter and taking no further part in the game.
VOTES
3 Votes Corey Daniels (NNW United)
2 Votes Jarvis Keogh (Swan Hill)
1 Votes Brady Davidson (NNW United)
MATCH RESULTS
SWAN HILL 1.2 7.4 9.4 9.7.61
NNW UNITED 2.2 4.7 7.8 12.10.82
GOALS – SWAN HILL – Kallen Heslop 5, Matthew Wade 2, Cooper Angus, Xavier Moloney 1.
NNW UNITED – Brent Arho 7, Jarrod Skinner 2, Zachary Caccaviello, Brady Davidson, Zack Threadgold 1.
BEST – SWAN HILL – Kallen Heslop, Matthew Wade, Leighton Dullard, Jarvis Keogh, Tom Holdstock, Brendan Blackmore.
NNW UNITED – Corey Daniels, Blake Larkings, Brady Davidson, Cal Dobbin, Joel Campbell, Brent Arho.
