Bambill 19.15:129 def Gol Gol 13.8:86
Goals:Bambill - Fox 4 Haase 3 Robertson 3 Milsom 3
Gol Gol: Allan 3, Umback 2
Best Bambill: Reid, Blundy, Bunney, Milsom Fox Sylvia
Gol Gol: Anderson, Sherwell, C Mills, Crane, Wade
Euston 16.12:108 def Cardross 12.5:77
Goals: Euston - Paola 4, S Smith 3, Liparota 3
Cardross - Macarthy 7
Best: Euston: J Healy, S Smith, S Parker, J McPherson, Browne
Cardross: Hudson, Bolitho, Bounias, Allford, DallaSanta
Meringur 12.12:84 def Werrimull 7.6:48
Goals: Meringur - Yates 4, Body 2, A Finch 2
Werrimull - Leeder 5
Best: Meringur - Longeri, Keatch, A Finch, Patten, D Smith, Yates
Werrimull - Mentiplay, Dexter, L O'connor, Munro, B O"connor, Kelly
First Blood
Saints, Bombers and 'Roos on the board in 2009
By Ben Rowles
Round 1 of the Millewa Football League saw three of last year's finals participants make their flag intentions clear with strong performances on the weekend.
Bambill,Euston and Meringur all took the chocolates in their respective games, and all
look to be contenders for the 2009 premiership.
But perhaps the most impressive performance of the weekend was from the Saints, who
out ran Gol Gol to claim a classy victory at the Mildura Senior College.
The game started positively for the Hawks, as they burst out of the blocks to surprise
Bambill and take a 4 point lead into the first break. Tim Anderson and Kaleb
Sherwell were working hard for Gol Gol early on, by ensuring the Hawks were first
in for the ball and using it effectively as they headed towards goal.
But in the second term, the tables turned and the Saints midfield contingency started
to gain the upper hand. Brant Reid and Ben Milsom were having a big impact for
the Saints, and were looking dangerous whenever they had possession of the
ball. Their efforts inspired the Saints to take a 21-point buffer into the half
time junction.
In the second half, Bambill started to take full control around the ground, and many
of the Hawk's major ball winners were shut out of the game. The Saints eventually
finished off a great start to the season with a 43-point win. Denny Fox had a
great debut with his new club; bagging four goals, while Hayden Allen kicked
three for the Hawks.
The Cardross Lions made the long trip out to Euston, with full intentions of spoiling the
reigning premier's party. After witnessing the unfurling of the 2008 flag, Euston were determined to prove why they are the champions; taking a 5 goal lead into quarter time. Cardross on the other hand were sloppy with their disposal going forward, which was making life difficult for the forwards.
A more determined Lions outfit emerged after the first break, as they kicked the first
two goals of the term. However, the Bombers returned serve with two goals of
their own to restore the 30-point margin. Despite being under constant pressure
down back, Chris Bounias was fighting hard to keep the likes of Mahino Paola
and Jamie Buchannan quiet. But he had few allies, and Euston took a 31-point
lead into the main break.
The second half saw the Lions lift their intensity to another level, as they placed
more pressure on the Euston players. This led to tensions flaring between the
sides during the third quarter, yet the increased pressure on the ball carrier
created an exciting standard of football.
Darren McCarthy was having a big day in front of the sticks for the Lions, having
kicked his fifth midway through the term. However, down the other end of the
ground, Sean Smith was also putting in a massive effort, as he continued to
provide a target for Euston all day.
By three quarter time, Cardross were still in with a chance, but they needed their
on-ballers to take control of the match and steal the dominance away from the
Bomber midfielders. The Lions did manage to put a scare through the Euston camp
when they kicked the first three goals of the final quarter, to bring the
margin back to 18-points.
But Euston always seemed to have an answer to every challenge posed to them, and
their cleaner ball-use around the ground was the difference between the sides,
as they ran out 32-point winners. McCarthy capped off a magnificent performance
up forward with seven goals despite having limited opportunities, while Sean
Smith completed his best- on- ground performance at centre half forward with
three goals.
The final game of the round saw Werrimull take on Meringur at Lake Cullulleraine. The
Pies were determined to show their supporters that they can mix it with the
best in the league, while Meringur were looking to stamp their intentions to be
a league powerhouse.
Matt Leader had a day out for the 'Pies, kicking four goals, while Graeme Mentiplay
was a solid contributor for Werrimull all day. But in the end, Meringur's class
around the ground, led by Carlo Longeri and boom recruit Colin Keatch, proved
to be too much for Werrimull, as the 'Roos lead all day to eventually take out
a 6 goal win.
Last Modified on 06/04/2009 09:39