Football
30 April, 2025
Storms disrupt Anzac Day games
Unsettled weather is nothing new to Wimmera Mallee footballers and netballers, given that both are winter sports, but this year's Anzac Day schedule in two towns was disrupted by a particularly nasty storm front spanning several hours.
Before the first bounce in the Wimmera Football Netball League's under-14 game between Horsham's Demons and Saints on Friday, lightning protocol delayed the start as a thunderstorm passed overhead at about 1.30pm.
WFNL director Neil King described the situation at City Oval as "a very rare event".
King said play was delayed by 30 minutes and in order to avoid affecting later games, the clash being reconfigured into two 19-minute halves.
After that, the afternoon's fixture was able to continue as planned.
The under-14 Demons won 3.6 (24) to 1.1 (7), Baxta Wade, Lewis Both and Linc Piera booting one goal each as Chavi Sulic, Chace Hall, Nate Ellis, Wade, Taj Sulic and Both were named as their team's best.
Vice-captain Hylton Penfold was the Saints' only goal-scorer, joining Elliot Tippet, Jordan Terry, Hugh Miller, Chase Koenig and Jagger Watson as the top contributors for the vanquished side.
More than four hours later on Friday afternoon, lightning also affected Anzac Day football at Kaniva Recreation Reserve, where Kaniva Leeor United played host to Edenhope Apsley.
The senior game was abandoned in the last quarter when a lightning storm hit.
King said the two participating clubs agreed to have their players leave the ground at the 10-minute mark, at which time Kaniva Leeor was leading by almost 70 points.
The score stood at 14.15 (99) to 5.0 (30) in Kaniva Leeor's favour.