Lions Continue Rampage
Mulwala ran out comfortable winners by 178 points but the score didn't reflect the spirited effort of Tocumwal.
The expectation was for a strong performance from Mulwala considering their early season form and the players were determined to ensure a percentage building opportunity didn’t go begging.
The Toc players hadn’t read the script and started the contest full of run and had a couple of early goals on the board before Mulwala could respond. It took the combination of the Robinson twins to get the ball flowing into the Mulwala forward fifty where Cam Symes and Lee James wereready to begin the goal feast.
The contest was a very free flowing affair early on and this was giving the young Toc runners the chance to set up some positive attacking moves. It had Parks, Zeke Flanagan, Damien Cook and Dan Kirchen under constant pressure but they were able to team together to shut out a series of goal scoring opportunities. Mulwala was kicked into gear by Michael Duiker and Sean Robinson who started to win the ball around the stoppages and set up scoring opportunities for the key forwards.
Dylan Robinson was back with a vengeance after forced rest due to injury and he was making up for lost time collecting possessions all over the massive Toc oval. Dylan’s ability to select the best option in pressure situations is exceptional and his capacity to find space when drifting forward makes him a very dangerous player. The space available on the Toc ground made the job of containing the Mulwala forwards almost impossible, with Beams and Walshe dominating up high, while James and Symes were options closer to goal.
The marking power of Tyler Walshe and Tom Beams makes them very difficult players to find a matchup for and their leg speed ensures they move the ball forward quickly, which keeps the opposition defence under constant pressure. Mulwala had overcome the slow start and were becoming more dominant through the midfield off the efforts of the coach, Michael Duiker, Michael O’Riordan and Sean Robinson. This was to prove to be the trend for the day with Glenn Dominick and Tyler Walshe sharing the ruck duties and giving the smaller midfielders first use of the ball on many occasions. The ability of Dougie Beams and Chris O’Neill to extract the ball from the stoppages and getting it heading in Mulwala’s direction was setting up the outside runners beautifully. Bhodi Butts was getting on the end of some of this good work and his long kicking was really breaking the lines well.
The determination of the defensive unit to completely shut the Toc forwards out was a clear indication that every player on the field was determined to work overtime to cement their position in the team leading into the challenging contests to come over the next few weeks. The ability of the Mulwala players to retain possession from end to end was a highlight of their work and set up some easy scoring chances for the waiting forwards.
The divide between the two teams became more obvious as the contest progressed with the bigger bodies of the Mulwala players hard for the Toc youngsters to contain with their tackles.
The determination to run the game out was impressive from both teams and the leadership being shown by Toc Captain David Farrell was keeping his younger team mates focused on the challenge was impressive. The efforts of Tyler Walsh, one of the youngest players in the Mulwala group was equally impressive. Tyler continued to take strong contested marks late into the game and kick goals when the chance arose.
In a contest Mulwala was always going to dominate there was certainly some positives for both clubs and some very entertaining football to keep the crowd interested. The score lines were well apart but that was more a result of the excellent defensive work of the Mulwala backmen than the lack of opportunities being created by the hard work of the Toc boys.
Mulwala had winners in all sections of the ground and will need to keep the good work up over the coming weeks when the come up against Barooga at home, then tackle Echuca and Nathalia the current ladder leaders. Get behind the Lions over the next month as the local boys try to set their season up with wins over the other finals contenders.
Reserves
The numbers in the reserves had been really tested due to a high number of injuries to senior listed players and with a number of the younger brigade heading off to a concert for the weekend.
The necessity for a couple of the thirds boys to back up and fill the bench was much appreciated by the coaching staff. It is no surprise that the boys performed well with Nathan and Liam both featuring in the awards in both grades.
The game was in Mulwala’s control from the outset and it was just a question of by how far and who would lead the goal tally for the day. The combination of Nick Gash, Jesse Johnson, Dylan Flanagan and Brandon Kreeck was proving impossible to manage for the undersized Toc defence. When the delivery was coming in from the likes of Ty Primmer, Eli Boyer, Corey Parish and Lee Howroyd, the goals just continually flowed and Toc had no answers.
Tom Flanagan was doing a fantastic job in the ruck getting most of the taps and following up at ground level on many occasions. His efforts ensured the ball was heading deep into the Mulwala forward fifty from most centre clearances which just kept the scoreboard ticking over. The defence was as dominant as the boys up forward, refusing to allow Toc any easy scoring chances and rebounding the ball with ease to set up more scoring chances.
Chris Johnson continued his good form across the half back line and was getting solid support from Johnny Whelan and the other boys down in the ice cold zone. The Toc players couldn’t contain the more skilful and much fitter Mulwala players, with even the thirds boys who had already played a full game collecting possessions at will. Spots in both teams will be very hot over the next couple of weeks with players returning from injury and the opposition will be a lot tougher in the coming weeks as well.
Thirds
The thirds team welcomed back Nathan Cook from a run up in the senior team and the addition of his height and marking power was very important.
Nathan pulled down a series of telling overhead marks throughout the contest and his influence on the game gave Mulwala a distinct advantage when they headed into the forward fifty. A tall option was creating opportunities for the smaller forwards and they capitalised early in the game kicking five goals in a row before Tocmuwal could get a score on the board.
The dominance early in the game came from some great work by Michael Bourke in the ruck which helped the Mulwala onball players clear the ball away with ease. Brayden Wilson and Nick Olphert were at the bottom of the packs driving the ball in Mulwala’s direction on many occasions which set up a series of scoring chances. Across the back half of the ground Liam Russell, Adam Rouel and Matthew Tobain were in control ensuring any scoring chances Toc had were quickly swept away and turned into attack.
Toc was not the easybeat it had been over the last couple of years and the Mulwala boys were made to work hard throughout the contest to retain their lead and control of the contest. Joel Hogan was running riot out on his wing which was a great advantage when it came to transition on the large Toc ground. It was a credit to the team in general for the determination they showed when challenged and how they continued to work hard to create scoring opportunities.
A highlight of the contest was the strong marking of Nathan Cook, Dale Powell and Jake Dodds. To beat a team who was above them on the ladder was a credit to the players and the hard work they were willing to do as a team.
Awards
4th
Lake Mulwala Cafe – Harry Crossley.
Dowling Family- Angus McMillan.
Lake Mulwala Bakery – Harley McCarthy.
Blue River Pizza- Tanner Nyholm.
Kelz Candy Shop- Jack Diamond.
3rds
Lake Mulwala Cafe – Liam Russell.
Judds Mensland – Nathan Cook.
MFNC- Jake Dodds.
Blue River Pizza – Nick Olphert.
Ski Club – Dale Powell.
Sullys Foodworks – Joel Hogan.
Salon 121 – Brayden Wilson.
Coach's Award – Cam Sharp.
2nds
Sullys Food works – Liam Russell.
Judds Mensland - Nathan Cook.
Celebrations – Nick Stevenson.
MFNC 1 – Ty Primmer.
MFCC 2 – Eli Boyer.
MFNC 3 – Corey Parish.
Seniors
Wingates- Lee James.
Club Mulwala – Cam Symes.
Royal Mail Hotel – Michael Duiker.
Last Modified on 09/05/2012 15:00