By Brook Shaune-Bould
Woorinen remain on track to secure their third premiership in a row, following a 21-point victory over Lake Boga in the first semi-final on Sunday.
The Tigers were forced to go back to the basics in the second half after trailing by 13 points at half-time, eventually running over the top of the Pies to win 8.16.64 to 6.7.43 in front of a huge crowd at Alan Garden Reserve.
Tigers coach Marcus Demaria said his players should be very proud of their efforts, as they bounced back from their disappointing loss to Cohuna the previous week.
“We were up against it today and they (Lake Boga) had the momentum,” he said.
“But we put in the work, we stuck to our guns and we simplified – the way that we got back on top was by simplifying, we went back to what we know”.
Sunday’s match started in dramatic fashion as Taylor Cameron took a big hit early in the first quarter and was knocked out cold for several minutes. Cameron was able to walk off the ground but took no further part in the game and was later found to have a broken jaw. Tensions were running high as a result of the hit, with scuffles breaking out across the ground and both benches hurling abuse at each other.
The Pies delivered their usual defensive pressure throughout the first term, but the Tigers scored three unanswered goals and started to look dangerous. John Harvey opened the scoring for Lake Boga near the end of the first quarter, but they went into the break 15 points behind and looking outclassed.
The Pies then mounted a strong comeback in the second quarter, taking control of the game and preventing Woorinen from pushing forward. They kicked four goals for the quarter and at the 24-minute mark, pulled ahead for the first time in the game. Their intense pressure kept the Tigers to just two points, but fans were frustrated by several missed scoring opportunities.
Darby Hayes kicked a huge goal for the Pies in the second quarter, but inaccuracy up front and a lack of connections between players prevented them from fully capitalising on their momentum.
The Tigers looked slow and unsettled a and their coach Marcus Demaria said after the game that he had concerns at that point about their ability to turn it around.
The momentum shifted again in the third quarter. The Tigers kicked three unanswered goals and kept the Pies scoreless. Lake Boga struggled to get a hand on the ball, and even when they did, they were not able to move it forward.
The Tigers could have run away with the game in the third term, but kicked a wasteful eight points for the term.
The Pies kept the Tigers to just two goals in the final term, but they couldn’t mount a second comeback, despite having the scoring end.
Daniel Dzufer was outstanding for Lake Boga, throwing himself into every contest and maintaining incredible pressure throughout the game, while Henry Thompson was best on ground for Woorinen, with Arnold Kirby close behind.
John Harvey was the only multiple goal scorer for the Pies, with three majors. Darby Hayes, Dustin Burns and Brady Hogan each kicked one goal.
Jordy McInnes was the Tigers’ top scorer, kicking two goals, while Mitchel Taylor, Arnold Kirby, Thomas Isma, Matthew Gardner and Matthew King each scored singles.
Lake Boga coach Shawn Filo said his players just couldn’t sustain their intensity for the full four quarters.
“They played better than us in the second half,” he said.
“Our pressure was good in the second quarter but we just needed a bit more scoreboard pressure – two or three more might have given us a bit more of a buffer.”
MATCH RESULTS
WOORINEN 3.3 3.5 6.13 8.16.64
LAKE BOGA 1.0 5.6 5.6 6.7.43
GOALS – WOORINEN – Jordy McInnes 2, Matthew Gardner, Thomas Isma, Matthew King, Arnold Kirby, Mitchel Taylor, Patrick Veszpremi 1.
LAKE BOGA – John Harvey 3, Dustin Burns, Darby Hayes, Brady Hogan 1.
BEST – WOORINEN – Henry Thompson, Jye Barry, Arnold Kirby, Regan Vesty, Josh Domaille, Ben Booth
LAKE BOGA – Daniel Dzufer, Nathaniel Holmes-Brown, Oliver Rohde, Joshua Cruse-filo, Lincoln Frost, Jacob Simpson
