Match One: New England Nomads 17.9.111 def Tamworth Swans 5.7.37 at Number One Oval
The Nomads continued on their winning ways on Saturday afternoon with an impressive 74 point win over the Swans in Tamworth. They led from start to finish but had far from their own way, with the plucky Swans right in the game in the first half. In the end, class prevailed, but the boys from the red side of Tamworth would have been happy with their output for the match.
The Swans pushed the league leaders for the first 25 minutes and were behind by just 5 points at the first change. They showed desperation at the contest and were able to restrict the run and carry of the Nomads for much of the stanza. It was during the second quarter where the Nomads started to slowly gain the upper hand and managed to extend their lead to 25 points at the long change. However, the Swans would have gone into the sheds feeling satisfied with their efforts in the first half of footy.
Perhaps spurred into action, the Nomads started the third quarter in fine form. They had control of the match for most of the stanza but were unable to truly put the Swans away. A 40 point lead at the last change was a good break for the boys from Armidale, but still were not totally home and hosed.
The last quarter was one of the better terms for the Nomads so far this year as they finally put the game to bed. They pushed the margin out to 74 points at the final siren and recorded another win in a successful season so far.
Jed Ellis-Cluff was again the main avenue towards goal, kicked 5 majors, with Dave Richards and James Boatfiled also dangerous up front kicking 4 and 3 goals respectively. Benji Julien, Luke Raymond and the returning Weston Whitby were their best. For the Swans , they had multiple goal kickers in Adam Splithof and Sam Shelton, with Sam Wealand, Shelton and Josh McRae their best.
Match Two: Inverell Saints 24.19.163 def Muswellbrook Cats 6.7.43 at Varley Oval
The Cats made the longest road trip in football on Saturday when they headed north to tackle the Saints. Despite travelling with 16 players, they put up a great fight against the boys from Inverell but were soundly beaten by a team needing a good win to stay in the hunt for a top 2 spot.
The Saints sprinted out of the blocks in one of their best quarters in 2013. They piled on 8 goals to one for the opening term, and opened up a 44 point lead at the first change to put the game to bed early. They continued on during the second, and by half time they were in front by 72 points ands licking their lips at the thought of a big kill.
However, Cats coach Paul Duncan gave a good old fashioned spray at the half time that rattled the sheds of Varley Oval, and his young side responded, playing some enterprising footy in the third term. While they were still out scored for the quarter, they managed 3 goals to the Saints 5 and were able to slow the running game of the Saints midfield.
The final quarter saw the Saints start to gain the upper hand again, and managed another 6 majors to round out a good win. The final margin of 120 points certainly helps the percentage but coach Jason Gobbert has some food for thought as they enter a tough run of matches to round out the year.
Mike Gould returned to the team following an injury lay off and went straight back to his goal kicking ways with 8 majors. Jono Elphick was pushed forward and slotted 4 while Chris Whitton managed 3. Russel Brien was the Saints best, with Gould and Sam Kimmince also having good games. Jackson Bower was the only multiple Cats goal kicker with 2, while Adam Griffiths, Gareth Goode and Camerone Benkovic were their best.
Match Three: Tamworth Kangaroos 34.14.218 def Gunnedah Bulldogs 8.11.59 at Wolseley Oval
The final match of the round saw the Kangaroos put on a clinic in Gunnedah and record the biggest score of the 2013 season so far in defeating the Dogs. The Roos are sounding an ominous warning to the rest of the competition with the finals fast approaching, and are unbeaten since the rep game break.
Unfortunately, quarter scores are not available at the time of printing. However, Matt Hodge was on fire, kicking 11 goals to take the lead in the Griffiths Medal count, with Dean Hoy kicking 8 up front as well. Luke Robinson continued his rich vein of form with a best on ground performance, with Hodge and Dan Overeem also prominent.
For the Dogs, Matt Wynkiet was their only multiple goal kicker with 2, while Andrew Pratt, Michael Kennedy and Ryan Cooper were their best
Last Modified on 09/07/2013 19:18