KOONDROOK-Barham entrenched themselves as a top five contender in 2025 after defeating Tooleybuc-Manangatang by 15 points on Saturday.
Played in blustery conditions, the Raiders proved too strong at home after dominating around the stoppages and contested possession throughout the first half.
Billed as an eight-point match between two clubs fighting for a spot in the top five, the 11.9 (75) to 9.6 (60) result sees Koondrook-Barham climb to fourth on the ladder, while simultaneously dropping the Saints to sixth.
While not reaching any great heights as a spectacle, the match will be best remembered for both teams inability to use the ball efficiently going forward, as both the Raiders and Saints wasted countless opportunities going inside their forward halves.
Koondrook-Barham dominated the possession in the first quarter thanks largely to the influence of Jacob Barrington in the ruck, who nullified the influence of premier ruckman Connor Mcdonald around the stoppages.
Barrington used his size to give his midfielders first use around the contest which enabled the Raiders to take a 15-point lead into the first break, however Mcdonald still found plenty of the ball around the ground to keep his team in the contest.
It should have been much more if not for the home side’s wasteful disposal going inside their forward 50, with Koondrook-Barham constantly bombing it deep only to have it picked off by Josh Williams and John Wardle.
The Saints on the other couldn’t retain possession, with the theme continuing for much of the afternoon as they made countless skill errors either by hand or foot.
Both teams seemed intent on bringing the ball back through the corridor at every opportunity, with the Raiders more efficient with the ball in the first half.
The scrappy footy continued in the second half, with both teams battling further when the rain came to begin the final quarter, with the Raiders holding a handy 29-point lead at three-quarter time.
That advantage quickly became 35 points early in the final term when Patrick Goble kicked his first goal of the afternoon, before Tooleybuc-Manangatang came storming back late with three straight majors, reducing the margin to 15 points midway through the final term.
That would be as close as they would get however, with Koondrook-Barham again steadying the ship thanks to the cool head of Goble.
While the Saints may have lost the contest, they lost no admirers, with their last quarter fight back sparking hopes of a come from behind upset late in the game.
Where they and Koondrook-Barham would have concerns, however, is with their ball use, with both teams guilty of wasteful disposal, turnovers and even simple skill errors at times.
Benji Neal and Lee Dale were influential early for the Raiders, with Neal dominating around the stoppages in the first half as well as proving dangerous when resting forward.
Goble and Jack Shannon also found plenty of the ball, while Nick Franklin produced a breakout performance in defence to also be among the home team’s better players.
For the Saints, John Wardle had the lock down role on Kye Attwell and shut the Koondrook-Barham key forward out of the game, while Rydar Morris and Williams were also strong in defence.
The real star for Tooleybuc-Manangatang was Sebastian Rogers, with the onballer a clear best on ground after half-time with his run and drive in the middle setting up many of the Saints attacking forays.
Nate Pretty (ankle) and Ryleigh Wilkinson (ribs) will be in doubt to take their place for the Raiders this Saturday when they play Swan Hill after suffering game ending injuries in the second and fourth quarters.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang also finished with just two rotations on the bench, with Josh Williams (concussion) not returning in the fourth quarter after a heavy collision with Goble in defence, while Josh Domaille (shoulder) also played minimal part in the game after he left the field early.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Koondrook-Barham | 3.3 | 5.6 | 8.9 | 11.9 | 75 |
| Tooleybuc-Manangatang | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 9.6 | 60 |
VOTES
3 – Sebastian Rogers (Tooleybuc-Manangatang)
2 – Jacob Barrington (Koondrook-Barham)
1 – Benji Neal (Koondrook-Barham)
