BALRANALD proved far too good for Koondrook-Barham in a one-sided encounter at Barham Recreation Reserve on Saturday, the Roos prevailing by 119 points.
Balranald dominated from the opening minutes and never looked under pressure.
The Roos kicked five goals in the first quarter and went into the first break with a 40-point lead after the Raiders failed to score.
Rain in the second quarter didn’t slow down Balranald’s scoring spree. The Roos booted five more unanswered goals and extended their lead to 70 points by half-time, with Koondrook-Barham managing only two behinds.
A controversial free kick in the third quarter helped Matthew Dean score Koondrook’s first and only goal.
The quarter ended with Koondrook’s Ash Molin suffering a sickening fall after a bump on the boundary line just before the siren.
Molin, who was playing his first senior game, hit his head and was stretchered off the ground with suspected concussion.
Balranald went into the final break 90 points up, with Koondrook having done well to prevent a larger blowout.
Koondrook coach Will Callow said his team was showing glimpses of improvement, with some young players showing genuine ability.
“We had seven or eight out of our starting 22 today,” Callow said.
“If you look at the draw, we’ve probably played the four top sides.
“We’ve got a young group and we’re trying a new system, but the players keep fronting up and applying themselves – it can be pretty hard when you get beaten all the time.”
Balranald’s Ethan Gant was the best player on the ground, dominating through the midfield and up front, kicking four goals.
Coach Jydon Neagle also kicked four majors, while Ben Fuller and Drew Lloyd each booted three for the winners.
Looking ahead, Koondrook faces a daunting task this week against Woorinen, who gave Balranald a scare in round 3, while the Roos will be tested when they take on fellow premiership contenders Lake Boga.
Neagle said the main thing his team needed to work on in the coming weeks was discipline.
“We need to be a bit cleaner going forward,” Neagle said.
“We also had some missed opportunities up front and could have kicked some more goals.”
FINAL SIREN
| KOONDROOK BARHAM | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALRANALD | 6.4 | 11.6 | 15.10 | 19.15 | 129 |
VOTES
3 – Ethan Gant (Balranald)
2 – Ryan Middlebrook (Balranald)
1 – Tom Salau (Balranald)
