What a brilliant week-end weather wise and football wise - if your team is out of the finals but you are a footy lover and happened to be at Mansfield, Tatura or Rochester on Sunday you would have to be well satisfied.
The Benalla Saints can perhaps count themselves a bit lucky to remain undefeated and heading into the Second Semi overcoming a very determined, plucky but inaccurate Shepparton Swans. At half time in great conditions at Mansfield, the Swans had 5 goals 9 behinds on the scoreboard to be trailing Benalla by just one point who had 6.4 on the beautiful electronic scoreboard. By rights that 5 goals 9 could have easilly been 10 goals 4 - the Swans missed some relatively easy set shots from kicking distance and one or two from on the run into the forward 50. The Swans kicked 3 goals 4 behinds in the 3rd Quarter to Benalla's 2 goals 1 - the Swans were up by 8 points at 3/4 time - 8.13 to 8.5.
There was no real breeze to talk about but in the Under 18's and Reserves games most of the goals had been kicked up the town end - Benalla were kicking this way in this very exciting last 30 minutes. Scores were level at the 14 minute mark - still level at the 20 minute mark when young champ Brodie WEBSTER flew over the top of a pack in front of the Mansfield Hill and took a brilliant high mark but to land awkwardly hurting an ankle and unable to take his kick which he would have slotted. He had already kicked 3 and this would have been a soda. Time was stopped for 4 minutes while Brodie was assisted from the field. Play resumed, however, the Swans were able to clear the footy from the mouth of goal and get it into the midfield where Jamason DANIELS swooped it up and ran to the top of the 50 and let go with a long bomb. It was going through until the last second when it veered off for a point. The Swans now a point up - the ball closer to the Saints goal than the Swans where in a group of players fighting for the footy Saints big man Shayne "Yappa" McKEAN was reported and sent from the ground with a yellow card. Benalla will now only have 17 men on the ground for the remainder of the game. How much time left? The Saints snap a point - scores level 26 minnutes gone on the clock. Enter Josh MELLINGTON; a strong mark on his favoured Left foot side about 40 out and he drilled it right through the middle. The Saints a goal up - it is crucial who wins the next centre clearance. Ball pushed wide to the time-keepers side of the ground - a floating mongrel kick forward to the half forward flank where Josh MELLINGTON again took a slips catch telling mark right on the boundary at about the 50 metre line. Clock ticking - MELLINGTON very determined and settled, concentrating to the max. A beautiful kick, Mellzo struck it perfectly - straight over the goal-umpires head half way up the goal post. The Saints now two goals up - 12.9 (81) to the Swans 9.15 (69). Up she goes in the middle - a swarm of players are around the footy. Siren sounds, Saints win game No. 19 on the trot and are into the Second Semi final. Word is filtering through up at Mansfield that Ky have been able to overcome Mooroopna so it looks like a Benalla / Kyabram second semi down at Seymour on Saturday. The players from the Swans and Saints shake hands and leave the ground. A real fair dinkum tough but very fair game with plenty of high calibre skill by a group of very talented young men. Benalla's Goal kickers were :- Josh MELLINTON 4, two in the first quarter and the two match-winners late in the last quarter; Brodie WEBSTER 3, Nick WARNOCK 2, Luke MORGAN, Shayne McKEAN and Josh MARCHBANK one goal each. The Saints have named the following players as there best :- Josh MELLINGTON, Tom BENNETT, Will SULLIVAN, Nick WARNOCK, Jordan WOLFF and Ryan COLBERT. The Swans goal-kickers were Brodie A'VARD with 3, Tysion SIDEBOTTOM 2, Justin MADDERN, Paul FRY, Jamason DANIELS and Jesse FINNEN with 1 each. The Swans better players were Tyson SIDEBOTTOM, Michael TINKLER, B.J. SQUIRE, Dan LOVICK, Mitchell BELL and Jamason DANIELS.
Apparently another great game at Tatura where the Cats were infused with three young guns in DRUMMOND, SIMPKIN and OLIVER to give Mooroopna a real boost against the more fancied Kyabram. Ky were a bit rushed in the first quarter which showed on the scoreboard - 1 goal 7 behinnds to Mooroopna 2 goals 3. At half time the Cats had increased the lead to 14 points causing people to think maybe the reigning premiers reign could be over. Not to be; Dirty Dave and his brains strust swung strong man Jason MORGAN from down back onto the ball where he made an immediate impact and by this time Paul NEWMAN was back on target having missed some easy goals. At 3.4 time the Bombers were up by just 2 points - 10.14 to 11.6. It was exciting up at Mansfield trying to get scores from Tatura but everyone was enthralled with the action between Benalla and the Swans. Back to Tatura - no way were the Cats going to lay down - there were having a red hot go but the strength and experience of Ky kept them in front for the final quarter and in fact kicked 6 goals to Mooroopna's 3 goals. The Bombers from 3rd possie on the ladder have earned the so important double chance to go into the Second Semi final down at Seymour against Benalla. Well done to Mooroopna for such a fine effort. Congratulations to Ky to continue the fight for that back to back flag. Kyabram's Goal Kickers were :- Paul NEWMAN 6 - Liam OGDEN 2, Kyle MUELLER 2, Nick COULSTOCK, Rhys CLARK, Jason MORGAN, Hayden GEMMILL, Jordon WILLIAMS and Sam SHELDDON all one each. Ky's best players were listed as :- Liam OGDEN, Jason MORGAN, Paul NEWMAN, Nick COULSTOCK, Brad EDWARDS and Jake REEVES. Mooroopna's Goal Kickers were :- Jye SIMPKIN 3, Dan LEWIS 3, Nathan DRUMMOND 2, Clayton OLIVER 2 and singles to Robert OSBORNE and Dean SMITH. The Cats best players were :- Kane ATKINSON, Dylan JOHNSTONE, Kane BOYER, Dylan CORNICK, Mitch KEDDELL and Clayton OLIVER.
The big result comes from the Moon Oval at Rochester where Rochester hosted the depleted Tatura Bulldogs. Other than true blue red and white Bulldog people not many would have tipped the Bullies to knock off the Tigers considering Tat had not beaten Rochy at Rochy for about 10 years and it was believed Rochy were in red hot form. Grant WEEKS had kicked 14 goals the week before and everyone was very excited about the 6'8" recruit Lochlan SIRETT from Colbo giving Weeksie a bit of a chop out up forward. It just shows how quickly things can change in footy - an hour or so before the game it was known that premiership and premier players Ryan CRAWFORD and Shannon BROADBENT would not be playing for Tat - as half expected former Bulldog player Jimmy HOLLOW was not playing for the Tigers. At the twenty minute mark of the first quarter (and remember; this is on Rochy's home ground) Rochester had 5.2 posted with Tat just a goal but then in the next ten minutes the Bulldogs struck back with another 3 goals to trail by just 6 points at 1/4 time when for the first twenty minutes of the game no-one would have backed Tat even with funny money. Second quarter - WOW ! Tatura rattled on 9 goals 4 behinds to the shell-shocked Tigers just 3 points. Tatura are now up by 49 points at 1/2 time. Liam BORELLI with James NIHILL stepped up into the Ones and did very well. Bulldogs Coach Brendan Van der DONK was thrilled after the game and described the second quarter as "awesome" and went on to report that we did'nt give them anything - our intensity and our work rate and pressure around all the stoppages with our intent was awesome - we worked tirelessly. Out-going Rochester coach Peter WHITE was very disappointed - he reported that the second quarter was the Tigers worst quarter for the year and that the communication was down, there was no enthusiasm - you would'nt have thought they were playing finals footy. The effort was better in the second half but the damage was done.
Mothballs for the Tiger jumpers - the laundry for the Tri-Colors as they prepare to take on the Shepparton Swans in the First Semi final at Kyabram on Sunday.
Tatura's Goals :- Sonny WHITING 5, Jayden YOUNG 4, James SULLIVAN 2, Alex O'REILLY 2, Paul KIRBY 2, Tim LANYON 1, Linc WELLINGTON 1, Rian McGOUGH 1, Tom SULLIVAN 1 and Robbie MONTGOMERY 1. The Bulldogs best players were listed as :- Linc WELLINGTON (does he ever play a bad game?) Rian McGOUGH, James SULLIVAN, Jayden TOUNG, Chris "Buffa" RYAN and James WALL.
Rochesters Goals :- Dylan CUTTRISS 7, Grant WEEKS 2, Tim BUBB 1. Rochesters Best :- Dylan CUTTRISS, Ash WATSON, Nathan McCARTY, Dillon WILLIAMS and Elliott BOWEN.
Last Modified on 28/03/2015 19:33