THE Mallee Eagles returned to the winners’ list with a convincing 30-point victory against the previously undefeated Cohuna Kangas on Saturday.
Played in perfect conditions at the Lalbert Recreation Reserve, the large crowd who made the trip out to the Eagles nest in search of a high-quality contest between two top teams weren’t disappointed, with the home side running away 12.9 (81) to 9.9 (51) winners.
It would be the Mallee Eagles that opened proceedings when co-coach Brent Macleod showed his brilliance, snapping truly in the opening minute of the game from the good work of onballers Darcy McGregor and Harry Allen who won the initial centre clearance of the game.
Players on both sides sacrificed their bodies without any semblance of caution in the opening few minutes given the importance of the game.
The defensive halves of both teams started on top, with the Kangas William Lee strongly repelling the ball away from Eagles’ spearhead Darcy Hourigan, while Tom McGregor and Zac O’Meara blanketed Kangas’ key forwards Brodie Fry and Corbin Anderson at the other end of the ground.
Jude Palmer tied up the contest at the eight-minute mark when he kicked Cohuna’s first, with the early midfield battle well worth the entrance fee with Allen, Darcy McGregor and Cameron Cook battling it out against Helman, Toma and Chris Anderson for on-ball supremacy.
Cook and Anderson would have a great battle all afternoon with Anderson winning most ruck contests, but Cook playing a damaging role around the ground for the Eagles.
Two late goals to Ethan Pinchin and Hourigan meant that the Eagles took a handy 14-point lead into the first change, with the home team’s better players in the opening term being Allen, Macleod and Darcy McGregor, who dominated centre clearances and Daniel Coates, Anderson, Toma and Helman for Cohuna.
The second term was an even affair with both sides kicking two goals apiece, Ricky Monti and Jayden Cordy splitting the big sticks for the Kangas and a goal each to Matt Rankine and Toby Sheahan seeing the Eagles lead cut to 10 points at the long break.
The Kangas hierarchy was forced to swing the changes at half-time in order to find some momentum, with both Toma and Riley Hird sustaining hamstring strains midway through the second term, ending their involvement for the afternoon.
The third term would be the best quarter of football as the game began to break open.
Both Helman and Allen went to a new level and Macleod showed why he is one of the smartest players in the competition, meticulously hitting targets by both hand and foot.
Monti lifted his work rate around the packs and Coates, along with Hudson Fountain, began to win the ball across half forward for the Kangas.
Two unbelievable goals from Fountain midway in the quarter and others to Fry and Jacob Mitchell meant the Kangas had miraculously wrestled back the lead.
Steadying goals to Jonah Devlin and a long bomb from Troy Anderson late in the third gave the Eagles a five-point lead at the last change.
It would be the Eagles who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck over the final term however, kicking five unanswered goals in a brilliant display.
Darcy McGregor was everywhere in the last term, picking up possessions at will as well as sealing the match with a blistering running goal, leaving three Kangas defenders flat footed as he ran into an open goal.
Eagles supporters had witnessed a far better performance than their effort the previous week against Woorinen and will be hoping their team can consolidate their game plan when they travel to Balranald next week.
The Kangas on the other hand will lick their wounds with a growing list of injuries their main concern ahead of their match-up against a young Kerang combination this Saturday.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Mallee Eagles | 3.3 | 5.3 | 8.7 | 12.9 | 81 |
| Cohuna Kangas | 1.1 | 3.5 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 51 |
VOTES
3 – Darcy McGregor (Mallee Eagles)
2 – Harry Allen (Mallee Eagles)
1 – Joel Helman (Cohuna)
