LAKE Boga have returned to the winners’ list in a bruising contest for both sides, with the Magpies claiming a 45-point win over Swan Hill.
The 15.8 (98) to 7.11 (53) victory shoots Lake Boga up to fourth place on the ladder with the Magpies tied on eight points alongside Kerang, Tooleybuc-Manangatang, and Koondrook-Barham.
Both clubs went into the match looking to return to form after Lake Boga were blown away by Tooleybuc-Manangatang in round 3 while Swan Hill were still yet to get a win on the board.
It was clear from the first bounce that it was going to be a physically demanding for both clubs.
Swan Hill were able to get an early lead half way through the first quarter, showing the Magpies that the Swans were wanting to push for victory.
With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Swan Hill midfielder Adam Manning was brought to ground in an incident that resulted in him taking no further part in the game.
In the second quarter, Lake Boga started to pull away from the contest as they took advantage of counter attacking Swan Hill along with strong centre clearances.
Lake Boga coach Dean Helmers said it was an area they improved on compared to last Saturday’s loss to the Saints.
“I believe the centre clearances were better compared to last week, as that was where we got smashed,” Helmers said after the match.
“So having more centre clearances helped us by preventing Swan Hill by getting the ball in their forward 50.”
Lake Boga continued their dominance throughout the second half, punishing the Swans whenever they made a mistake.
The Magpies had a field day in their forward line, which was clearly shown by Braden Padmore and Nathaniel Holmes-Brown who both had strong performances in front of goal.
Swan Hill to their credit composed themselves and held Lake Boga within a 40-point contest, thanks to Harry Scott and Kallen Heslop who both snagged two goals.
Helmers spoke to The Guardian after the match and described it as a bruising affair, along with praising the way both clubs played on the day.
“It was a very physical contest, our ruckman (Hunter Hartland) got kneed right on the first bounce and had to come off,” Helmers said.
“We knew that for Swan Hill, it would’ve been a grand final for them, they are a proud club and they wanted to come out to make a statement.
“To their credit, they didn’t stop trying and kept on pushing us right until the final siren, so both sides should be feeling rather proud.”
Helmers gave a lot of credit to some of the younger players, including Bryce Anderson and Reef Mulligan who made their senior debuts on Saturday.
“I thought they both played really well, one was playing in the backline (Mulligan) and the other was playing deep forward (Anderson),” Helmers said.
“I think they can both really hold their heads up high.
“They will play again next week, that’s the reward they deserve for having a great debut today.”
Lake Boga will be play host to Koondrook-Barham this Saturday, with Helmers asked on how the Magpies will prepare to take on the River Raiders.
“We played them a few weeks ago in a practice match, you can’t judge a side off a practice match but they are a pretty strong side,” Helmers said.
“I think both clubs are in a similar boat, we don’t have a lot of travellers in our side so we are building ourselves up in training every week.
“We will have to wait and see how we will match up against their recruits, I think we will have a good contest but we will never know until we play them.”
VOTES
3 – Braden Padmore (Lake Boga)
2 – Nathaniel Holmes-Brown (Lake Boga)
1 – Jayden Lonergan (Lake Boga)
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Swan Hill | 3.3 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 7.11 | 53 |
| Lake Boga | 3.2 | 8.4 | 13.6 | 15.8 | 98 |
