Blair Weller was a star through the midfield in Longwarry’s 77-point thrashing of Nyora on Saturday. 30600 Picture: Meagan RogersBy Ken Moore
SIX straight first-quarter goals by Bunyip paved the way for an impressive 60-point victory over Poowong on Saturday.
The Bulldogs have now quietly worked their way into fourth spot on the ladder and with five victories from six outings are well on target to play finals football this season.
The Magpies trailed at quarter time by 22 points and fought hard over the next two quarters to keep the margin within reach at 23 points at the last change.
However, as a result, the Pies were a spent force.
Bunyip finished all over a tired Poowong with a five-goal-to-one last quarter in yet another show of its vast improvement this season.
Skipper Josh Taylor was a central figure around the packs all game and Marc Jolley and Stephen Henwood read play well and offered plenty of rebound off the half-back flank.
Jack Fitzpatrick put his body into many contests and fed his smalls well and had a terrific tussle with his ruck rival Conor Cunningham, who also provided the Pies with plenty of impetus.
Steve Berryman shut down Poowong playmaker Matt Grant after half-time and Adam Rakip steered through four goals, all before half-time, to put the Bulldogs on track, while Brent Hues relished another move forward kicking three last-term goals.
For the Magpies, the undersized Dave Miller did well to restrict Bulldog star Ryan Brown to only two goals, Beau Anthony and Jarred Attenborough offered drive through the midfield and tall forward Trevor Hooker (three goals) led and marked well and proved a big threat on a number of occasions.
Tigers claw a win
LANG Lang was made to fight hard to record a 15-point victory over a plucky Buln Buln.
The Tigers led all game and looked set for a big win after scoring five consecutive goals in the third term.
However, they had to withstand a strong Lyrebirds’ revival in the last term that saw them creep within nine points with three minutes to go, before a late Tigers’ goal put the result safely in their hands.
Across the forward line and through the middle Hadley Tomamichel excelled in close quarters and, along with Adam Baxter, both played an instrumental role in Lang Lang’s victory.
Kurt Batt, in both the ruck and at full-forward, was always prominent and Jake Dwyer and Rhys Nisbet held the backline together.
Getting over a minor injury, coach Clint Evans spent a good deal of time in the forward pocket and bobbed up with three goals.
For Buln Buln, rising star and on-baller Mitch Nobelius played a gem of a game and popped through five goals, half-back flanker Jamie Taylor repelled many attacks, ruckman Craig Kennedy toiled hard and wingman Dan Johnson snuck forward to drill through three goals in a fine display.
Crows call the tune
STUNG by successive losses, Longwarry came out and whipped Nyora by 77 points.
Small Crow forwards, Luke Serong (six goals) and Beau Runnalls (five goals), proved too slick for their opponents and capped off the good work downfield by ruckman Luke Tymensen, Tye Holland Beau Ridgeway, Blair Weller and Danny Wells.
Nyora ruckman Danny Morrison had a crack, rover Corey Wilson fed off the packs all game and half-backs Brendan Hayes and Brad Francis both showed their wares on a regular basis.
Longwarry sits in seventh position and is eyeing off displacing either fifth-placed Nar Nar Goon or sixth-placed Warragul Industrials.
Both lost on Saturday and are now only one game in front of the Crows and with a similar percentage.
Cobras bust the Bankers
CORA Lynn was untroubled in beating Ellinbank by 76 points.
The game was as good as over at quarter time when the Cobras led by 36 points and the Bankers had failed to register a score.
From then on Ellinbank tried hard, but never quite had the talent to reel in the deficit.
For the second week in a row Craig Taylor shone in his new defensive role and Brendan Kimber barged through the packs and set up many forward thrusts.
Vice-captain Michael Duiker kicked three early goals and Matt Davey drove the ball forward time and time and again.
Former Garfield star Jack Allen played half a game and showed enough to suggest he will be a big acquisition.
In only his second senior game ruck-rover Nick Helsby, the club and the league third’s best-and-fairest last season, picked up many handy disposals and looks to be a handy acquisition.
Ellinbank’s momentum revolved around Steven Ballingall, Mark Johnson and Josh Peterson, who all drove hard at the ball and both Toby Wallace and Neal Parke offered plenty of resistance.
Tragedy mars Demons-Cats’ game
KOOWEERUP had to battle hard to pip Neerim Neerim South by 17 points.
The match ended tragically – called off 10 minutes into the last quarter when Neerim’s trainer and life member, Bill Cumming, collapsed on the field and died.
After an even first quarter, the Demons nosed in front in the second quarter and looked in control when the game was abandoned.
Kooweerup ruckman Matt Cameron played another ripping game and rugged utility Rhys Morgan, despite close attention from Cameron Hinkley, who also did well, added his usual oomph around the packs.
John Alexander played a big hand and Jason Williams was a key component of the Demons’ midfield.
For Neerim, ruck-rover Chris Urie was heavily tagged, but still managed to make his presence felt, his brother Mick, bobbed up often with the ball across the forward line and along with Jack Halligan, both posed a problem when the ball was in their vicinity.
Courtesy of the victory, the Demons remain in touch with the top six.
