ULTIMA’S incredible start to 2023 continued with a 47-point away win over Wandella on Saturday.
The Roos are the only unbeaten team remaining in the Golden Rivers league, each win with a margin of more than 45 points – a stark contrast to consecutive wooden spoons in the past two years.
Wandella’s Logan Keighran said his team was at the crossroads after the 11.11 (77) to 4.6 (30) defeat, having lost three games in a row and needing to turn their season around in a hurry.
“It’s not going to take a lot to make the finals this season,” Keighran said.
“I firmly believe that this team has what it takes to match it with the best sides in the competition.”
The Bombers kept the Roos in check for the first half of the game, with strong pressure limiting scoring opportunities and keeping the ball locked up.
Ultima went into the first break four points in front, having kicked just two goals to Wandella’s one.
The Roos started to take control of the game in the second term, despite Zac Cattlin sustaining a leg injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the match.
Mitch Makepeace emerged as a standout player for Ultima in the second quarter, delivering a sensational running goal.
The Roos’ relentless pressure was stifling the Bombers’ forward movement, however Wandella managed to find some form towards the latter stages of the second term and kept the margin to 11 points at half time.
Ultima took control of the game in the third term, with Jamie Nicholas serving as an exceptional target up front.
His accuracy and speed proved invaluable to Ultima’s offensive efforts, while Wandella’s struggles were further compounded when Kane Timmins exited the game due to a shoulder injury.
The Roos’ formidable defence effectively contained Wandella’s key forwards throughout the game, denying them any significant chances to impact the scoreboard.
The Bombers failed to score in the final term, but Ultima’s lack of accuracy up front prevented a major blow out.
Both Mitch and Tyler Makepeace were among Ultima’s better players, with three goals each, while coach Kyle Symons was also strong in his praise of both Caillum Brady and Will Nelson, the pair also playing a key role in the win.
Moulamein returned to the winners’ list in style, with a dominant first half helping the Swans to a 68-point win over Macorna.
Amos Farrell (six goals) and Blake Azzopardi (five) were unstoppable in Moulamein’s forward half, with the home side registering 40 scoring shots in the 23.17 (155) to 13.9 (87) result.
After opening up an 18-point lead by the quarter time, the Swans put the foot down in the second term, booting eight goals to blow the Tigers out of the contest before the second half.
While Macorna responded, the damage was done, with Moulamein cruising to a comfortable win and holding down second spot on the ladder in the process.
The team most likely to challenge the Swans and Roos for a top-two berth is Hay, who had a comfortable 50-point win over Murrabit.
The Lions led from start to finish in a dominant four-quarter performance, although there were still plenty of positives for the Blues to take from the 11.11 (77) to 4.3 (27) loss on the road.
Hay’s Declan Watson proved to be the difference, with the forward finishing the day with seven goals in a powerful performance to be the Lions’ best, while Dustin Blake, Jono Aujard and Ed Aujard were among Murrabit’s better players.
