Round 2 of the Manpower AFL Mackay Premiership Season saw last seasonâs Wooden Spooners the Bakers Creek Tigers, maul defending Premiers the North Mackay Saints. All matches played last weekend were some of the most competitive, hard fought contests in recent history, all of which decided in the final minutes with margins of less than three goals.
The Tigers started impressively, but fell away badly in the second half of their match last Round against the Eastern Swans, but showed plenty of promise for the season ahead. This weekendâs match shaped as a predictable one-sided affair against the Saints, but no-one told the Tigers this!
Bakers Creek came out with plenty of style, pegging an early lead over North Mackay, who didnât post their first major score until late into the first quarter. Saints coach Darren Gwynne rolled the dice with some tactical positional changes, which were challenged by Bakers Creekâs free running and expansive brand of football, with Matt Hungerford and Johnny Vagg running rampant.
Ben Crosbie for Bakers Creek will feature heavily in the Matheson Plastering Leading Goal Kicker tally, booting four goals for the match.
As injuries mounted for North Mackayâs depleted bench, which was notably missing key ruckman Andrew McMahon, the Saintâs young brigade of Sam Bilal and Alex Grummett stood tall to boot away to an 8 point lead midway through the final quarter.
A strong revival saw the Tigers fight back, and post a series of goals in the final minutes to complete a memorable match, their first win over North Mackay in almost a decade. Bakers Creek 4.6, 7.7, 7.13, 10.14 (74) def North Mackay 1.0, 4.0, 6.1, 9.3(54)
Reserves: North Mackay 13.7(85) def Bakers Creek 6.8 (42)
The Whitsunday Sea-Eagles continued their good run at home, with a 17 point win over the Eastern Swans at Airlie Beach on Saturday night.
The Sea-Eagles started strongly, winning plenty of possession in the first quarter, but were unable to convert , kicking 1 goal 6 behinds, due mainly to strong defensive work by the Swans backline of Lachlan Jamieson and Phill Andrew.
The Swans came into game in the second, controlling the football through the middle of the ground through Levi Percy and Dean Hartley. Standing tall in the forward line, Ivan Walker posted two goals for the match.
The Sea-Eagles kept a two goal buffer between themselves and the Swans for the majority of the remainder of the match, but were never allowed to run away with it, and had to fight hard all the way to the final siren.
Paul Branchflower came alive for the Sea-Eagles in the final quarter, controlling the play from the centre contests to pass onto the mobile Peter Bond in the centre line, who also managed three goals for the match. Whitsunday 1.6, 4.9, 9.10, 12.14 (86) def Eastern Swans 1.0, 3.3, 6.6, 10.9 (69)
Reserves: Whitsunday 11.11 (77) def Eastern Swans 4.3 (27)
The Mackay City Hawks met a determined Moranbah Bulldogs outfit, keen to make amends for last weekâs demoralising defeat by North Mackay.
Both teams played strong running football, with accurate kicking keeping both clubs in the hunt. The Pope brothers combined well for the Hawks, and delivered off well to Grant Evans and Chris Butcher, who put five and three goals off the toe for the match.
The Bulldogs showed their traditional bite, and through their on ballers Darren Semmler and Tim Bone, delivered well to Brian Fagan in the goal square, kicking three for the match, with Semmler picking up four.
With minutes remaining in the match, the scores were neck and neck, with some clever work by Mackay City through the centre sealing the Bulldogâs fate, allowing goals in the dying minutes, to allow the Hawks a 22 point win. Mackay City 4.3, 7.5, 9.8, 13.11 (89) def Moranbah 3.2, 5.4, 8.6, 10.7 (67)
Last Modified on 24/04/2009 13:35