By Ken Moore
NEERIM Neerim South put a huge dent in Nar Nar Goon’s top six prospects after it pipped the Goon by three points at Spencer Street on Saturday.
The Goon made an encouraging start and showed good spirit and teamwork to skip to a 17-point lead at quarter-time. But the Cats came out a different outfit in the second quarter and whittled back the deficit over the next three quarters.
In an exciting last quarter that saw three lead changes, Neerim hit the front for the first time before the Goon, with a goal by Matt Keane, snatched back the ascendancy.
Soon afterwards, Neerim midfield lynchpin Chris Urie slotted through a goal on the run to recapture the lead for the visitors and it proved to be the match winner.
Urie was a prolific disposal winner and barged into and through the packs all game, Brenton Cowell both stymied and engineered many attacks off the half-back line and elusive 16-year-old half forward Kody Wilson was impressive and is a name we will hear a lot more of in the future.
Coach Leigh Sheehan and Cam Hinkley both put their head over the ball and won plenty 50-50 contests and Robbie Gillespie, in only his second game, put in a competitive effort in the ruck when he replaced Matt Young, who injured his troublesome hamstring in the third quarter.
When the powerfully built Young left the ground, the Cats were in a spot of bother, because they still trailed and did not have fit players on the interchange bench.
Neerim has worked its way up to third spot on the ladder and will be looking to beat Lang Lang in round 14 to displace the Tigers in second position.
Nar Nar Goon sits in seventh position and is six points behind the sixth-placed Bunyip. It can ill afford to lose another game.
Half-back Matt Slattery went hell for leather at the ball all day, half-back Nick Henwood used his disposals smartly and shrewd forward Luke McConnell kicked four goals.
Coach Clint Williams wielded his usual influence and wingman Dean Kelly and Kevin Quinn set up many forward sorties to be among the better players for the Goon.
CATANI fans finally had something to cheer about after it recorded its second victory of the season, its first since the opening round when it got home by six points over Poowong.
The Blues owe victory to a three-goal-to-nil first quarter when the ball was easier to handle and before the muddy conditions worsened and made scoring more difficult.
The Magpies lifted in the second term and kicked three goals but did not help their cause when two of their players were sent from the field after a melee just when they were starting to pose a threat.
Midfield hubs Jake Delphine, Nat Rodda, Justin Evans and Luke Tyrell all picked up more than 30 possessions and energetic goal sneak Andrew McKenna snared three majors.
Smooth-moving ruck-rover Anthony Benvenuto set up many forward thrusts and youngster Ryan Williams provided good drive from his wing position.
For the Magpies, Dave Miller kept a tight rein on key Blues forward Owen Fitzpatrick, fourths captain and wingman Tom Wyatt showed good pace and dash and so did his brother Barry, who played on the other wing.
Ruckman Callum O’Hare toiled hard and Gavin Notman offered plenty of rearguard action.
Now 10 points in arrears of the sixth placed Bunyip, Poowong finals hopes look forlorn.
AFTER a humiliating loss to Garfield the previous week, Lang Lang showed plenty of character to bounce back and beat Bunyip by 17 points.
Tiger forward John Nichols provided the cutting edge in front of the goals, steering through four majors, Kurt Batt loomed large across the half-forward line and David Williams returned to the side his lively self up forward.
Ruck-rovers Hadley Tomamichel and Jarrod Tonks did plenty of donkey work around the packs, centre-half-back Dan O’Hara played a steady game and was lent staunch support by Brett Hameeteman and Aaron Creasey.
Bunyip came out determined and scored the opening two goals of the match but its lead was reeled in during the second quarter and after Lang Lang hit the front it was never headed.
For the Bulldogs, Aaron Henwood marshalled the defence with strong assistance from Steve Berryman. Michael Laszczyk bobbed up with three goals, Jake Buckingham and Ben Jostlear had a bustling midfield presence and Michael Cleary scouted the packs well.
Bunyip is showing signs of losing its edge and structure over the past month. It has a difficult draw and needs to lift if it is to hold on to sixth position on the ladder.
CORA Lynn crushed Nilma Darnum by 159 points. The Bombers were outplayed all over the field. Strong-bodied ruckman Dan Harders imposed himself on the game and generated many centre clearances; he has been one of the best buys of the season.
The double act of Ryan Gillis (seven goals) and Brad Horaczko (five) led and marked strongly, Tim Payne rebounded the ball well off the half-back line and wingman Jimmy Bradshaw provided his usual spark.
For Nilma, Josh O’Brien, Ellinbank recruit Tyler Walters and another promising youngster in Michael Buzasi were the only Bombers to kick a goal.
Garfield recruit Andrew Fyffe along with Josh O’Brien, Harley Lacunes and Michael Mooney all racked up the disposals and never threw in the towel despite the lopsided score line.
BULN Buln had a comfortable 73-point victory over Nyora. The Saints trailed by only 19 points at the main break but lost their way in the second half.
After half-time Lyrebird coach Daniel Charles moved into the middle and he was a catalyst behind many forward forays that were finished well by Dean Burnell and Jeremy Jagoe, who both bagged three third-quarter goals.
Rover Anthony Bernardo won plenty of the ball and used it cleverly, 18-year-old defender Doug Black provided good resistance and Luke Harvey curbed the output of Nyora coach Corrie Wilson.
For the Saints, Daniel Barton and Jason Dodd rendered plenty of assistance down the back and rover Aiden Cumberland accumulated plenty of disposals. The brightest thing to emerge for Nyora were the efforts of Korumburra recruits, half-back Daniel Salmon and midfielder Kallum Rigby.
