Football
23 June, 2024
Thunder prevail over Demons in thriller
The Southern Mallee Thunder survived a late scare to get over the top of a spirited Horsham by 21 points at Horsham City Oval in round nine of the Wimmera Football Netball League.
The game was close throughout, with both teams having opportunities in front of the goal. It was tight in the final quarter, with the Thunder holding a slender seven-point lead at the 15-minute mark of the term.
Jordan Motton kicked a goal for the Demons to peg the margin back to one point, and the Demons could smell an upset as the game was poised to go down to the wire.
Rupert Sangster responded within 30 seconds to extend the Thunder's lead back to seven points, giving them some breathing room.
The Thunder, through their experience, kicked the final two goals through Thomas Clarke and Bradley Lowe to run out 12.15.87 to 9.12.66 victors.
Jake Garvey kicked four goals for the Thunder, with Brad Lowe remaining his consistent self, kicking three. Ryan Kemp kicked three goals for the Demons.
Thunder coach Kieran Delahunty said it was a good game of football.
"It was a good fast game of football, and it had perfect conditions as it enabled both teams to move the ball well with a few good passages of play," Delahunty said.
"We knew it would be a hard match as the Demons have played well in recent weeks, and we were challenged. Credit to the boys for digging deep and winning."
Delahunty was pleased that Garvey and Lowe remain focal targets up forward.
"They have had some good supply and have made the most of their opportunities and are important to our setup," Delahunty said.
"Several other guys played well yesterday, but it was a great team performance. Our midfield was great, and Jackson Fisher stood out on the wing.
"Our small forwards in Rupert Sangster, Nick Yarran, and Tom Clarke also had big moments, but overall, I was pleased with how everyone played."
Demons coach Jordy Burke said the team is disappointed they didn't win but has taken a lot from the match.
"We want to develop a winning culture, and we didn't get the win, so the boys were disappointed after the loss," Burke said.
"The other thing is that as a coach, even though we didn't win this time, it helps us learn a bit quicker, and we know what we need to do should a similar situation arise."
"We worked really hard towards the end of the last quarter, and to the Thunder's credit, they answered and have a lot of good players."
"I'm really happy with how we run out games, but it's the learning to win and getting over that hump to win tight games to take yourself to the next level and putting yourself in that position to go in for the kill."
The Demons will be sweating on the fitness of Hudson Hair next week, who left the game with a hamstring injury.
Tigers thrash Saints to stay within top-five reach
A dominant first quarter from Nhill led them to a 44-point victory over the Horsham Saints at Davis Park.
In a must-win match for the Tigers, they were all over the Saints early, having 16 shots on goal, but producing 5.11 to 2.1 to lead by 28 points at quarter-time.
The Saints had their chances in the second quarter to get back into the match but could only register seven behinds as the Tigers kicked a further four goals to lead by 48 points at half-time.
The Saints came out after halftime firing, but despite having a great quarter, they could only manage to peg the deficit back to 39 points at the final break.
A three-goal to two final quarter saw the Tigers run to a 15.17.107 to 8.15.63 win.
Dylan Ridding kicked four goals for the Tigers, with Jake Harrap, Daniel Batson, and Joshua Lees all excellent for the home side, the latter kicking two goals.
Corey Mogan kicked four goals for the Saints and was their best player alongside Becker Irwin, Sam Clyne, and Mitch Martin.
Saints coach Ben Knott said he was disappointed in the performance.
"We were comprehensively outplayed in that first quarter and were playing catchup," Knott said.
"It shows how close the competition is because if you are a little bit off, teams can capitalize, and Nhill certainly did that."
"They outworked us, beat us one-on-one, and it wasn't a great effort."
"I guess the pleasing thing is that we put up a bit of a fight in the last three quarters, but it was too little, too late."
Levi and Zane Munyard, alongside Will Slatter, came into the side and showed something that pleased Knott, but he said it was tough on them.
"They will all play senior footy in the years to come, but when the leaders don't stand up, it's hard for them to make an impact, but they did show some good signs," Knott said.
Burras huge final quarter leaves Roos stunned
An eight-goal to-four final quarter has seen Minyip Murtoa run out 18-point winners over Dimboola at Dimboola Recreation Reserve.
In what was a must-win match for Dimboola, they started off slow to trail by seven points at quarter-time.
After getting a rev-up at quarter-time from coach Jack Landt, the Roos kicked four goals to one to take an 11-point lead into the main break.
The third quarter was a tough battle, with the Burras sticking with the Roos, reducing the margin to five points at three-quarter-time.
It was a tough final quarter, with both teams battling hard, but ultimately, the Burras flew to victory, winning 13.6.84 to 10.6.66.
Having a great season in front of goal, Oscar Gawith kicked seven goals, with Luke Fisher and Kade Petering also amongst the Burra's best.
For Dimboola, Jackson Calder kicked four goals, with Ashley Clugston and Jackson O'Neill among the best.
Minyip Murtoa coach Gareth Hose said they were confident they could win the game if they kept within striking distance.
"They got the first goal in the last quarter to extend the margin out to twelve, but after that, I felt that our midfield got on top, and we were running well," Hose said.
"We gave Lachie Johns the job on Dylan Landt, and he quelled his influence, and we also gave Jake Leith the job on Jack Landt, and he also did a great job nullifying him."
"We just had players that did their role and had no passengers."
"What was also great to see is that we were able to finish things off in the last and convert our opportunities, something we haven't really been able to do lately. So it was a great win, and we just need to keep playing like this now," Hose concluded.
The loss is a bad one for Dimboola in the context of their season. They are two games behind the fifth spot, and a season that promised so much is now on a knife's edge as they look for answers on how to spark their season.