Eight-goal burst ends Bulldogs’ Sunday

By Rohan Aldous

Apr 25, 2023

Meeting of the minds: Merrigum coach Jaydon Stiles (left) with selector (and father) Mark Stiles and club president Andrew Parkinson at the quarter-time break of Sunday’s round-two match. Photos: Rohan Aldous

Defence will be the focus of Merrigum coach Jaydon Stiles and his off-field brains trust after the Bulldogs surrendered eight goals in the third quarter against Dookie United in its 27-point second-round Kyabram District Football Netball League loss.

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The Bulldogs outsocred Dookie in the first and final terms of the Sunday fixture, but after being dominated in the third term lost the match 15.12 (102) to 12.3 (75).

Merrigum, which scored a thrilling win against Violet Town in round one, led by nine points at quarter time as its dual spearhead set-up of coach Stiles and Kyabram recruit Jarryd Pertzel worked perfectly.

By half-time, however, Dookie had overtaken the Bulldogs and led by six points — breaking down the Merrigum defence and winning more of the ball out of the centre.

Ten of Dookie’s three majors came from its key forwards as key Bulldogs defenders Damon Zampaglione and Darcy Collins were under constant pressure by their opposition.

SCOREBOARD

SENIORS

Merrigum...................3.1, 5.1, 9.3, 12.3 (75)

Dookie United......1.4, 6.7, 14.6, 15.12 (102)

GOALS, Merrigum: Jarryd Pertzel 4, Jaydon Stiles 3, Connor Cowley, Josh Stiles, Zac Parkinson, Brodie Easton, Josh Catalano. Dookie: K Tapscott 4, D Webster mill 3, J Kezerle 3, B McMullan 2, J Bee 2, J Threlfall.

BEST, Merrigum: Zak Parkinson, Connor Cowley, Joshua Stiles, Jarryd Pertzel, Kellan Robinson, Brodie Easton. Dookie: Aaron Lynn, Joshua Kezerle, Jack Threlfall, Dylan Webster mill, Kyle Tapscott, Ben Dyer.

RESERVES

Merrigum.....................1.2, 3.5, 4.5, 5.7 (37)

Dookie United.........3.2, 6.3, 11.6, 14.10 (94)

GOALS, Merrigum: Josh Catalano 3, Mitch Rowley, Ethan Moor. Dookie: J Brophy 5, W Griffin 4, L Sommers, D Bagley, O McNiece, N Borg, J Nugent.

BEST, Merrigum: Samuel Macadam, Dylan Rowney, Bradley Hocking, Ethan Moor, Taynan Richardson, Matt Findlay. Dookie: Blake Wilson, Jarrod Walker, James Nugent, Will Griffin, Noah Cosgriff, Lachlan Sommers.

At three-quarter time the margin was 34 points in Dookie’s favour as they converted eight goals straight in a quarter where the match produced 12 goals.

Merrigum’s three-goal-to-one final term, where Pertzel and Stiles (who kicked six goals on debut a week earlier) finished with seven of their team’s 12 goals and the only multiple goalkickers.

Tongala recruit Connor Cowley and Josh Stiles, who was used more in the ruck than in defence on Sunday, were among the goalkickers and another of the Bulldogs’ Kyabram reserve-grade grand final recruits, Brodie Easton, also hit the scoreboard.

The Bulldogs have a difficult assignment this weekend when they face a rampaging Nagambie team, which beat last year’s preliminary finalist Stanhope by 84 points in round one and followed that up on the weekend with a 38-point win against grand finalist Murchison-Toolamba.

Captain Zac Parkinson was the Bulldogs best player, often finding himself on the last line in support of the Merrigum defence and, at times, also pushing forward to try and hit the scoreboard.

In what looks like being a see-sawing season the Bulldogs will be eyeing a win against neighbour Girgarre, which is struggling this season, in the clubs’ round-four meeting before facing traditional rival Lancaster in round six.