Round fourteen in North Central Football seen the previously undefeated Wycheproof-Narraport Demons suffer their first defeat for the 2016 season at the hands of the Donald Royal Blues. In what looked at hard task for the Donald side as they trailed by eight points heading into the final term but they were able to restrict the Demons to just the two points while they added five last quarter goals to get home by twenty one points. The Donald win may have been more important to them than just the valuable four points as it has now put them in a good position to hold down second spot with two rounds to go.
Charlton a little depleted through injury went into their game against the Redbacks a little tentative but they soon shook off any thoughts of a Redbacks upset and went on to win by over ninety points to keep the double chance within their sights but it will depend on the results of other games in the final two weeks for them to regain that spot on the ladder. Sea lake Nandaly Tigers turned the tables on the Boort Magpies from their first round meeting, this time the Tigers got the points by just under ninety points. If the Tigers could have been a little more consistent throughout the season they could have been playing finals in their first year in the competition. The Tigers now sit in fifth spot overtaking the Boort Magpies. In the final game the Birchip-Watchem Bulls continued their charge towards the finals and they easily got the points over an undermanned St Arnaud Saints to run out big winners by over one hundred points. The Bulls are the form horse in the competition as their form continues to improve each week a different story to the early weeks of the competition where they lost four out of their first five games, the Bulls has now won their last four games.
Donald v Wycheproof-Narraport
These two clubs holding down the top two positions on the ladder would have set the scene for a top contest. In the opening term it was a scrappy affair with just the two goals being scored for the quarter with the Demons holding a four point lead at the first break in play. This was not most expected to see from the two top sides.
In the second quarter the pace didn’t really pick up to any great heights, the Demons could only manage one goal for the term while the Donald side turned the four point deficit into a seven point lead at half time. Many would have thought that this game would have provided some real highlights with the two top goal kickers in the completion in Corey Jones and Seamus Young involved at either end of the ground but it did not eventuate. The Demon may have been a little bit down at the centre bounces, entering the game without their top ruckman in Chris Howgate and perhaps Donald took full advantage of his absence.
The third quarter produced a better standard of football from both sides with the Demons starting to team better and finally got the scoreboard ticking over as they added six goals to the Royals four to take slight advantage of eight points to the final change. Holobowski started to get into the action and gave the Demons the drive from the middle where Jones got on the end of a couple to register major scores. At the other end Ross young was as consistent as ever and pushed the ball to his brother in Seamus who converted for full points.
Donald stepped up the pace in the final quarter and started to get on top of the Demons to quickly reclaim the lead, while the Demons were struggling to break through the backline of Donald lead by the inform Scott Wood and Daniel Pearce and their top efforts held the previously undefeated Demons to just two points in the final term. Ross Young was best in Donald’s twenty one point win with Daniel Pearce, Scott Wood, Jackson Hogan, and Seamus Young with five goals along with Sam Dunstan being named as their better players. Tim Holobowski got the honours for the Demons with a fine display from the middle with Morgan Fawcett, Ricky Allan, Joel Turner, Josh White and Matt Riordan named amongst their best players, Corey Jones was their leading goal kicker with three.
Final score Donald 13-4=82 defeated Wycheproof-Narraport 8-13=61.
Boort v Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers
The Tigers gave notice very early in the opening term that they meant business with Doering and Simon Weekly on fire up forward as the Tigers slammed on six first quarter goals. Boort could only manage one major score for the quarter and trailed the Tigers by twenty eight points at the end of the first term. This was complete reversal of form from these two sides from their first encounter where it was Boort who was dealt all the good cards.
An eight goal quarter for the Tigers and just the two for Boort in the second quarter didn’t help the Magpies cause. Sea Lake Nandaly had winners on every line and only for the determination of Aaron Wilson down back for the Magpies things may have even got worse. Weekly and Doering were again very dangerous in front of the big sticks setting up a half time lead of seventy one points and the Magpies had a fair bit of work to do just to get themselves into the contest let alone having any thoughts of a win but regaining some respectability on the scoreboard.
The long break didn’t do Boort any favours as the Tigers came out on full throttle in the opening minutes of the premiership quarter as the Tigers big guns in Bloom, Elliott and Doering lifted their workrate to a higher level. Boort kicked two goals in the quarter but it was hard work to get through the Tigers defence who was having an easy day but was able to switch on when required and turn back the majority of Boort’s forward moves. With the Tigers lead nearing one hundred points. heading to the final stoppage it was just a question of what the Tigers would kick in the final term and what the final margin would end up and whichever way you looked at it from a Magpies point of view it wasn’t looking good.
In the final term of a game where the interest went out of it well before half time, Boort just had set themselves one goal and that was to win a quarter and build on an unhealthy looking scoreboard.
Boort had their best quarter of the game where they doubled their score for the first three quarters and they did win the quarter having thirteen scoring shots resulting in a return of five goals eight to the Tigers five goals two points but while the Magpies did reduce the final margin back a little the final result of around fifteen goals wasn’t what they had hoped for entering the game. For the Tigers they would have been happy with the result but a bit down on their inconsistency throughout the year which most believing their best football was certainly worthy of them earning a finals spot, but it didn’t turn out that way.
Mikal Bloom, Matt Elliott, Jordan Doering, Brad Collins, Bryce Scott and Joel Clohesy were named as their best players, Jordan Doering with nine goals and Simon Weekley with six was their leading goal scorers. For the Magpies, Aaron Wilson was named as their best with other better players being Brodie Leonard Shannon, James Orr, Rohan Nolan, Riley Nolan and Jordan Bleicher. Rohan Nolen was their major scorer with five goals.
Final score Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers 25-10 = 160 defeated Boort 9-17=71.
Wedderburn v Charlton
Charlton went into their game against Wedderburn down a few key players and this allowed the view that the Redbacks could just cause an upset when the Navy Blues was a little vulnerable. It didn’t take long for these thoughts to be squashed as the Navies key forwards in Joe McGrath and Matt Giri kicked the first four goals of the game. Wedderburn through Hayden Polglase struck back midway through the quarter with the first of his two goals in the quarter for the Redbacks. Joe McGrath bagged his third for the term to give the navies a fifteen point lead at the first break and this would be as close as the Redbacks would get from this point on.
In the second quarter the McGrath and Giri show continued with goals to both early in the quarter.
Will Holt goaled for the Redbacks and for the first time they were able to put back to back goals together when Coach Danny Benaim playing his 250th senior game for the Redbacks kicked the first of his two goals for the term. At the half way mark Charlton had doubled their lead from quarter time out to thirty three points. McGrath had kicked five goals in the first half and Giri had registered three goals.
In the third term the general thought was that the Navy Blues would run away from the Redbacks but both side found scoring had to achieve. Charlton could manage just three goals and the Redbacks who had the ball in their forward line for a fair part of the term was unable to capitalise on their opportunities while having the ball forward. McGrath, Giri and Finlay kicked goals for Charlton in this term and Danny Benaim kicked the Redbacks only goal. Charlton’s lead at the final stoppage had extended out to forty eight points at the three quarter time break.
The Redbacks was hoping to contain the Navy Blues in the final quarter but they were not able to match it with the Navies as they posted nine last term goals to the Redbacks two. In this quarter Jos McGrath brought up his tenth goal for the day, Codi Gunn ended the day with six and Matt Giri three. For the Redbacks Danny Benaim and Hayden Polglase both finished the day with three goals.
Named best for the Navy Blues was Jye Sandiford with mentions going to Kieran Sait, Josh Ketterer, Joe McGrath, Sean O’Connor and Ben Walklate. Best for Wedderburn: Jordan Hargreaves, Robbie Tonkin, Ben DeAraugo, Hayden Polglase, Danny Benaim and Nathan Holt.
Final score Charlton 23-13=151 defeated Wedderburn 8-10=58
St Arnaud v Birchip-Watchem
Going into the game short a few key players St Arnaud was not really expecting to get the points over the inform Birchip-Watchem Bulls and in the opening quarter the Bulls let their intentions be known by kicking seven goals to the Saints one to hold a thirty seven point lead at quarter time a lead that the Saint would find hard to pull back in the remaining three term.
In the second quarter the Saints was able hold the Bulls to three goals and added two goals but the margin was going the wrong way for the Saints. Spencer Aitkin and Jack Wilson was causing some concern for the Saints defenders and at the other end Jake Noonan was solid down back to turn back the Saints forward moves. At the half time break the Bulls lead had extended by just two points to thirty nine points and the Saints would be looking for a better effort in the second half.
With a half to go the Bulls were first to score to kick start their second half with Hallam getting the Bulls on the board. Birchip-Watchem was playing consistent football and would add a further six goals in the term and keep the Saints to just the one goal which would turn out to be their final goal of the game and at the final break the saints was looking down the barrel of a big defeat with the Bulls having a sixty eight point lead.
Even with such a huge lead the Bulls needed to run this game right out with finals matches just a couple of weeks away and they needed to get everything out of the game and not concede any easy scoring shots to the Saints. The Bulls did run the game right out adding five last term goals and holding the Saints to just one point. The final margin in favour of the Bulls was in excess of one hundred points and they are looking in good touch heading to the finals series and in their remaining two games they are at home to Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers and play third placed Charlton at Charlton in the final game. For the Saints their remaining games are at home to Charlton next week and then they play top side Wycheproof-Narraport at Wycheproof so their final two games do not look to give them any joy in a year they would have hoped to have done better after coming off winning the premiership last year.
Best for the Bulls: Jake Noonan, Charlie Hallam, Jack Wilson, Michael Monteith, Brendan George and Spencer Aitkin with six goals.
Better players for the Saints: Tom Bertalli, Ben Batters, Gavan Vassallo, Caleb Bloomer, Torin Petrie and Billy Williams. Nathan Coghlan with two goals was their major goal kicker.
Final scores Birchip-Watchem Bulls 21-9=135 defeated St Arnaud 4-9=33.
Next week’s round 15 matches
Donald v Boort
Birchip-Watchem v Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers
St Arnaud v Charlton
Wedderburn v Wycheproof-Narraport
Last Modified on 14/08/2016 18:29