NULLAWIL maintained their grip on a top-two finish, defeating Boort by 46 points in what had been a possible a danger game.
After two lacklustre performances in recent weeks, the Maroons found form against an inaccurate Magpies outfit.
A seven-goal third quarter onslaught helped Nullawil secure a 14.5 (89) to 5.13 (43) victory.
While a strong cross wind made conditions difficult for both sides, it was Boort were made to pay, with the Magpies having just one less scoring shot than Nullawil despite the big margin.
Nullawil coach Brett Barker was satisfied with his team’s performance at home, with the four points helping to keep Birchip-Watchem and Donald a game behind in the race for the top two.
“We needed a good game after a couple of poor weeks against Donald and Wedderburn,” Barker said.
“We needed to make a bit of a statement and the third quarter was probably the best footy we’ve played this year and really set us up.
“We ground away in the first half and it was a bit of a slog, but the wind dropped a bit after half-time and the game opened up after that.
“Our midfield got on top through Putty (Dean Putt) and we put Wattsy (Daniel Watts) in the middle as well – he didn’t play there in the first half and he makes a big difference to our contested work.
“Our clearance work in the second half was great, especially in the third quarter, and that proved to be the difference in the end.”
While happy to walk away with the four points, Barker was also happy with the performances of midfielder-forward David Isbister and running half-back Patrick Kelly, with the latter’s second half helping the Maroons light up the scoreboard.
Barker was also impressed with Boort’s pressure around the ball, heaping praise on his opposition’s first half onslaught in particular.
“(Boort) played really well as team and played a really solid high-pressure game early in the match,” Barker said.
“Their tackling and attack on the ball was first class, but we knew if we chipped away at it we’d eventually get on top – I thought we were the better side, but it just took us a while to show that.”
For Boort, Jarrod Fitzpatrick was among the better players, kicking three goals, while Keiren Wilson, Jonathan Lanyon and ruckman Nathan Twigg were also key contributors.
The news wasn’t all good for Nullawil however, with Jonathan Casey expected to join Mitch Farmer and Ben Brennan for a stint on the sidelines after straining a hamstring in the 46-point win.
Losing a prime mover couldn’t come at a worse time for the Maroons, who host reigning premiers Birchip-Watchem this Saturday.
The Bulls will be coming off a 104-point win over winless St Arnaud at Lord Nelson Park.
Birchip-Watchem blew the game open with a dominant second quarter, piling on 10 unanswered goals for the term on their way to a comfortable 19.20 (134) to 4.6 (30) win.
Ben Edwards (five goals) and Nathan Gordon (four) shared the spoils, with the midfield of Sam Simmons, Marshall and Nick Rippon running rampant across a polished four-quarter display.
The scores weren’t a lot better at Sea Lake, where the Tigers registered a 79-point win over Wedderburn to remain unbeaten through the first nine rounds of the season.
Former Adelaide and Geelong forward Josh Jenkins booted six goals in the 17.17 (119) to 6.4 (40) win, with the Redbacks seemingly having no answer for the dominance of ruckman Ryan O’Sullivan or the class of Trent Donnan, Luke Martin and Thomas Cox.
Wedderburn’s Tom Campbell was the only Redback to register multiple goals, with two majors, while Joe Lockhart, Isaac Holt and Jacob DeAraugo were also among their better players.
Last year’s grand finalist Donald made their move and climbed back in the top four with a 10-goal win over lowly Charlton in the battle of the blues.
Sam Dunstan’s eight-goal haul set the tone for the Royal Blues, who secured the 18.12 (120) to 8.12 (60) win thanks to a 10-goal to five second half.
