EIGHT unanswered first quarters goals have helped the Mallee Eagles record a dominant 111-point win over an undermanned Tyntynder at the weekend.
The Eagles were simply unstoppable both up forward and in defence, with Darcy Hourigan booting eight goals for the match and take over the mantle as league leading goal scorer with his 28th major for the season.
As impressive as Hourigan was, the Eagles’ defence was equally influential, with their back six restricting the Bulldogs to just seven scoring shots for the afternoon.
The 18.25 (133) to 3.4 (22) result could have been so much worse for Tyntynder had the home side kicked straight however, with the windy conditions playing havoc for players on both teams for much of the afternoon.
It was an opening quarter onslaught that set the tone for the day, with the Eagles having 19 scoring shots kicking with the aid of a strong breeze to completely blow the game wide open before the first break.
Despite their inaccuracy, Mallee Eagles co-coach Harry Allen was content with his team’s start after the match, telling The Guardian it was “good to get the jump” on the Bulldogs and “starve them of any opportunity early.”
“There was a bit of a breeze heading towards the southern end so that helped, but anytime you score eight goals before quarter time, you’ll take that,” Allen said.
“At the end of the day, we probably left a few opportunities out there as well; we still kicked 11 points and 25 for the day, so it could have been a bit worse for them or even better for us, but we still gave ourselves those opportunities and that’s the main thing.”
While Hourigan and was the star up forward, it was a pair of Mallee Eagle defenders who were as important as the eight goal hero to the final result, with Tom McGregor and Zac O’Meara both instrumental all afternoon in repelling many of Tyntynder’s forward entries.
McGregor was particularly brilliant deep in defence in the continued absence of key defenders Joe Halloran and Jayden Post, while O’Meara’s ability to read the play across half back also ensured he was rewarded with votes.
“We just suffocated them around the contest and just starved them of any opportunity to get the ball going forward and then our backs, as always, were just super,” Allen said.
“I think we’re starting to get a pretty good understanding that we can really strangle sides and then hurt them going back the other way.
“Any time we forced pressure around the contest, forced that long kick down the line or a rush kick we were able to pick it off and rebound really well.
“We still left a few opportunities out there and probably butchered it a bit sometimes going forward, which is probably resembled in the score line.”
Although it was a tough day at the office for Bulldogs fans, there were still positives to take from the defeat according to Tyntynder co-coach Darcy Bibby, who was pleased with his team’s ability to fight back after their slow start.
“They (Mallee Eagles) are, in my view, one of the top one or two sides in the competition,” Bibby said.
“They are a well balanced side across the board and they play really well together.
“From our end, they capitalised on the wind in the first quarter, but after that we held them to 10 goals for the rest of the game and played with a lot more effort and pressure.
“Our focus really is on trying to get four quarters of consistent football this year and we’re looking to achieve that over the next five weeks.”
Tyntynder’s Josh Potter and the Mallee Eagles’ Cameron Cook had a hard fought contest in the ruck, with Potter just shading the former Bulldog in his first game against his old club.
Elliott Broad, Ben Hallam, Elia Ware and Bailey Reeves were also among Tyntynder’s better players, along with Patrick Crowe and Bibby who worked tirelessly all day.
Tyntynder will need to regroup quickly ahead of the match with a resurgent Kerang this Saturday.
The Mallee Eagles on the other hand will be out to avenge their loss in last year’s preliminary final to NNW United, but may need to do so without Hamish McGregor (knee) and Isaiah Bull (corked thigh), with the pair in some doubt following game ending injuries on Saturday.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Mallee Eagles | 8.11 | 11.16 | 143.20 | 18.25 | 133 |
| Tyntynder | 0.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 22 |
VOTES
3 – Tom McGregor (Mallee Eagles)
2 – Zac O’Meara (Mallee Eagles)
1 – Darcy Hourigan (Mallee Eagles)
