Nathalia proved too strong for Mulwala
Nathalia have put together a strong combination this year and their team’s height and strength was a concern early in the contest as Mulwala worked hard to get their match-ups right. Sean Robinson had collected the best on ground award in the inter league competition last week and he continued his great form against the Purples. There was no space around the contest and this was certainly working to Nathalia’s advantage as they love scraping hard.
Nathalia were very purposeful when they headed inside their forward 50 and their accurate kicking was keeping the likes of Parks, Michael Duiker and Jake Walshe under pressure. At the other end Mulwala were wasteful with the ball missing targets when running free and these turnovers were creating more scoring chances for Nathalia. Sean Johns was having a good battle with the hard running Snelson who is one of the most dangerous ball users in the league.
Mulwala were getting beaten in the contested ball situations around the stoppages which forced Parks and Bohdi to have to work overtime deep in defence to shut the Nathalia forwards down and keep the scoring under control. Mulwala couldn’t seem to get the scoreboard ticking over with the Nathalia defence getting plenty of support from their midfield players who were dropping back in front of Lee, Tom and Cam.
Mulwala were in need of inspiration otherwise Nathalia were looking like they would blow the game wide open and run away with a big win. The inspiration came from the hard work in the centre of the ground from Nick O’Bryan and Sean Robinson and the magnificent marking feats of Nathan Parker deep in defence. The scoring opportunities had slowed for Nathalia but even though Mulwala were winning more of the ball they still had trouble making an impact on the lead Nathalia had created early in the contest.
Persistence finally paid off when Lee James managed to kick a much needed major but making inroads to the Nathalia lead was proving very difficult. Jake and Tom Beams were starting to get their hands on the ball around the top of the 50 metre arc but quality entries into the goal scoring zone were just not coming. Josh Hammond was getting a lot of attention from his direct opponent when the ball was nowhere near them but when it came to winning the football Josh had too much class and left his antagonist in his wake. This forced a change of opponent but Josh was up to the challenge and continued to win the ball up forward high in the attacking area.
Mulwala were playing with more purpose but each time they cut into the Nathalia lead the Purples were able to respond with a timely goal. Nathan Parker was simply sensation in the way he shut the Nathalia forwards down but a run of points at the other end of the park was proving costly. Mulwala had the chance to get back into the game but poor kicking for goal meant Nathalia was able to maintain a three goal buffer throughout this danger period.
Nathalia were keeping their intensity up right throughout the final term and try as they might Mulwala were not able to break through their strong defensive tactics and get them under pressure on the scoreboard. Tom Wilson and Josh Hammond were working overtime to create scoring opportunities but bridging the first term gap Nathalia had created through their fast start was beyond the Mulwala players.
It was a credit to the Mulwala player that they continued to work hard trying throughout the game but playing the ladder leaders over the past couple of weeks has shown the players the intensity that will be required to be involved at the action end of the season. Fewer mistakes when in control of the ball, better decision making when selecting options and more accurate kicking for goal when opportunities arise are all aspects of the game Mulwala will need to focus on improving to get back on track. The Leakel Homes best player award for the seniors is a point score system across all game for the year and Nathan Parker could well have been awarded double or triple points for his outstanding performance at full back this week. Without Parks defensive marking power Nathalia would have been well clear on the score board and Mulwala without a chance.
Next week Mulwala travels to Numurkah in what is a crucial game for both clubs if they want to keep their finals aspirations on track. It will take on even greater significance for Mulwala considering the fact they have had two losses in a row and will be desperate to get back on the winner’s list. A fast start and accurate kicking for goal will be necessary to get the points against Numurkah who will be keen to rebound from a loss to Finley last round.
Reserves
The contest in the reserves was a top of the table clash and the Mulwala boys were up to the challenge early in the game. Tim Doyle continued his comeback and he had the backline well organised from the word go. The addition of Nick Gash and Sam Heffernan into the forward structure was really stretching the Nathalia resources and gave great support to Dylan and Brandon.
Michael O’Riordan was all class on his wing, winning possessions and using the ball with purpose heading into the forward 50. The Nathalia players were making the most of any scoring chances they got which helped them to stay in touch on the score board. Mulwala were dominant in general play around the ground but failure to make the most of those opportunities was proving costly. They were keeping Nathalia in the game when they should have shut them out of the contest before the long break.
Dylan Flanagan was too strong in the air and on the lead for his opponent and his accurate kicking for goal was helping Mulwala to maintain the lead. The attacking running from Doyle, O’Neil, Parish, O’Riordan and Howroyd was a key feature of Mulwala’s game. Mulwala’s young guns were too skilful for the Nathalia team to shut down with Zach Moore, Brad Wilson and Ely Boyer setting up many of the attacking moves. Beau Hornidge was working back into some good form after some time out injured and his aggressive attack on the ball lifted the players around him.
The contest was being dominated by Mulwala but the fact they seemed to relax late in each term let Nathalia back in to the game and gave them a chance to snatch victory during the last quarter. Mulwala were able to respond through the efforts of Doyle, O’Riordan and O’Neil when the crunch time came late in the last term and a goal to Brandon finally gave Mulwala the four points. A better four quarter effort will be required against the top teams in the future so that they don’t have the chance to steal the game.
Thirds
The Mulwala thirds group came up against a top three side on Saturday and the Nathalia outfit was quite a bit bigger and stronger. Nick Olphert, Nathan Cook and Mitch Doughty were working hard early in the contest to get the team going. The early attacking Nathalia did, gave them an advantage on the scoreboard but the Mulwala boys were trying hard to bridge the gap.
Jake Dodds and Michael Burke were working hard against the Nathalia ruck combination and this helped to get the play flowing in Mulwala’s direction. As the game progressed Liam Russell, Nathan McNair and Nathan Cook were getting the Nathalia forwards under control and this slowed their scoring down. The good work being done in the middle of the ground wasn’t resulting in goals for Mulwala as the ball was getting rebounded by the strong Nathalia defensive unit.
Liam Russell was doing a power of work across the half back line and running the ball through the midfield to set up some positive attacking moves. Mulwala posted some goals to give the boys some confidence and this slowed the Nathalia dominance to a large degree. Zak Garner and Michael Tabain were contesting hard, and winning some important possessions around the middle of the ground. This helped to close the margin even further and when Gus McMillan snapped a goal they were back within three goals.
The Mulwala team continued to work hard right through until the final siren but lack of scoring chances meant they couldn’t rein in Nathalia’s lead. Liam Russell was the standout player across the four quarters and he got assistance from a series of players during the game.
Fourths
After a week off the Lion cubs were caught napping against Nathalia. The game started well but as time went on the boys lost touch and Nathalia kicked away. Unfortunately the boys struggled to hit their targets. The coaches encouraged them to learn from this disappointment and train hard this week to improve against their next opponent in Numurkah.
Goals – A McMillan 2, S Davis, J Urquhart, H Crossley.
Best –T Dow, H McCarthy, C Bennett, J Diamond, R Burns, D Hoskins, L Wood.
Last Modified on 07/06/2012 21:20