RUSHWORTH posted its first win of the Kyabram District League season in style on Saturday, romping to a 111-point win over the battling Tallygaroopna.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Recruits in Daniel Harris, Kieran Malone, Ed Bourke, Jackson Doyle and Broady Blackley-Dow showed the way for Brett Pateman’s men with dominant games.
In his first game with the Tigers since his AFL days, Harris celebrated his homecoming with a six-goal haul.
Will Tollner and Joel May were also prominent for the winners who face a huge challenge this Saturday against the unbeaten Lancaster.
Austin Morgan, Sean Gledhill and Adam Brophy battled hard for the visitors.
●Merrigum upset Girgarre before a huge Sunday crowd at Merrigum on Sunday to hoist its third win and move into fourth spot on the ladder.
The Bulldogs jumped the ’Roos with a five goals to one opening quarter and defended their lead for the remainder of the game.
Girgarre got to within 11 points at half-time and were only 12 points down at three-quarter-time.
But game-ending injuries to big men Nic Wellington and Byron Dryden in the second half left Girgarre without a bench at the last change which didn’t help its cause.
Jacob Chessels was able to hold Girgarre’s forward ace Jordan Clarke after he had kicked three early goals.
Rotating midfielders in Jack Sinclair, Ryan Hearn and Jacob Martin provided many of the chances for Merrigum’s forwards led by Will McDonell with three goals to apply scoreboard pressure.
Merrigum’s defence led by Chessels and veterans David Matthews and Geoff Connally was able to stifle Girgarre’s scoring although 17-year-old talent Kalon Reid proved elusive with five goals for the visitors.
For Girgarre, defender Tom Walsh turned in another solid display in defence while wingers Brayden May and Ash Hughes helped keep their side in the game for three quarters.
Despite the loss, Girgarre coach Billy Barnes was again proud of his players’ input.
‘‘From the Violet Town game we had Matt Deledio, Lachlan Hill, Tyson Dipetta, Ryan Butler and Damien Daziel missing so it was always going to be tough,” Barnes said.
“We have had had a terrible run with injuries so far and Nic Mellington could be out for the rest of the season with an ACL.”
Merrigum faces Violet Town this Saturday in another big challenge while Girgarre hosts Dookie United.
●Lancaster leaked two goals against battler Longwood in the first term, but that was the end of the home team’s scoring on the day.
After an eight-goal opening term, Lancaster continued to bombard the goals all day, posting a healthy but off-target 33.31 in the whitewash.
Zac Cerrone was a standout for the Wombats with 10 goals while Charlie McLay with six, Sam Vick with five and Jamie Scapin with four made the goal umpires earn their money.
Co-coach Tom Davies starred again in the midfield and along with James Ross and Coby O’Neill consistently fed the ball all day to their forwards.
Lancaster hosts Rushworth this Saturday.
●Stanhope rebounded from last week’s loss to Murchison-Toolamba to get over Shepparton East by 36 points.
Jonathan Pearson with five goals and Alex Young with three were able to get vital goals after scores were locked up at half-time.
Recruit Luke Mann and Matt Gill and Brad O’Reilly were the players to help lift Stanhope in the second half when the game was in the balance while skipper Craig Emmett turned in another serviceable game in defence.
For Shepparton East, Jamie Damianopolous, Jamie Spencer, Ethan Moore and Andrew Lloyd tried hard to keep their side in the game.
●Unbeaten Avenel proved far too good for Undera, romping to a 99-point win.
Consistent Henry Weding and Nic McAuliffe were again Undera’s best with support from Rhys McKenzie and Keelan Mitchell but a lot of Undera players went missing on the day.
Avenel gets a much stiffer challenge this Saturday taking on Murchison-Toolamba while Undera rests with bye.
●Shane Crawford’s Ardmona again came up well short, losing to Dookie United by 177 points.
The Bush Cats gave some cheek early, kicking two goals in the first term but only one other for the rest of the game.
Will Patone bagged eight goals for the winners who had other good players in Aaryn Cormican and Brad Ridings who booted six goals.
For the Bush Cats Clinton Proctor, Beau Jackson and Cam Hall battled hard against the odds.
But the Bush Cats will be gearing up for this Saturday’s much anticipated clash with another cellar dweller in Longwood.
●In the main game of the round, reigning premier Nagambie put an end to Murchison-Toolamba’s unbeaten run with a hard earned 17-point win.
It was tight for three quarters but the efforts of Matt Waterson, Tyrone Muir, Jonathan Moore and Ben Hutton in particular inspired the Nagambie win.
Shepparton East recruit Steve Burns, Tom McCormick, Luke Cecchin and James Milne were the players to keep the combine in the contest for most of the day.