By Colin MacGillivray
CONTROVERSY abounded at JJ Clancy Reserve on Saturday, with Old Eltham Collegians handed a contentious one-point win against Kilmore with a goal on the siren in the penultimate round of Northern Football Netball League division three.
After trailing for much of the afternoon Kilmore hit the lead with the first three goals of the fourth quarter, and looked like running over the top of the Turtles.
But in the final five minutes Old Eltham goaled twice, with both the direct result of questionable 50-metre penalties that took them to the goal square.
The final goal of the game was especially contentious, with Eltham forward Nick Milne given 50 metres after a Kilmore player knocked the ball from his hands following a mark in the forward line.
With less than a minute left, the Turtles’ bench called for Milne to take his time before kicking for goal, but Milne took so long that the Kilmore players and supporters screamed for the umpire to call play on.
The umpire eventually called play on, and the siren appeared to sound before Milne kicked from point blank range, but the umpire allowed the goal, giving the Turtles an 8.3 (51) to 7.8 (50) win.
Irate Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips walked onto the field to query the umpire after the goal, with one Old Eltham official heard to remark that they also believed the kick came after the siren.
However Phillips refused to blame the umpires for the loss, saying a lackadaisical first half and inability to capitalise on opportunities in the second half cost the Blues.
“We shouldn’t have put ourselves in a position where a free kick, whether it’s there or not, influences the game,” he said.
“We dominated the last quarter for a good 15 minutes and then let them get on top and wrestle the momentum back. That’s on us. We needed to keep our foot on their throat when we had them, but we let them back in.
“We lost the game in the first half. We didn’t play the way we wanted to play, for what reason I’m not sure.
“In the third quarter we dominated the play but couldn’t capitalise on the scoreboard, which kept them in the game.”
First-half injuries put Kilmore under the pump, with defenders Pete De Sousa, leg, and Liam Monaghan, head, taken off early and forward Michael Fenech hampered by a rib injury.
The injuries meant Kilmore had to leave both its ruckmen – Mick McCulloch and James Atkinson – on the field for most of the day, robbing the team of leg speed.
Key defenders Kieran Moran, Jaxson Kinnear and Steve McIntyre held up superbly against numerous Old Eltham forward entries in the first half, while Bailey Derrick helped break the lines in his return from concussion.
Onballer Chris Barton gave the Blues a huge lift in the second half by willing himself to contests and putting his body on the line, in stark contrast to the way the team played in the first half.
Fellow midfielder Chris Ryall kicked two goals in a customarily solid outing, and Tom McMillan played well on a wing in tricky conditions.
Veteran midfielder Leigh Irons was another to lift in the second half as he celebrated his 300th game for Kilmore.
With one round left in the home-and-away season, Kilmore will play Reservoir at JJ Clancy Reserve before a rematch with the Turtles in an elimination final.
With none of the past five meetings between Kilmore and Old Eltham decided by more than 10 points, Phillips said he expected another close battle.
“We’re looking forward to Reservoir and then the Turtles again in two weeks,” he said.
“[This result] probably doesn’t change anything apart from the fact that they’ll get the home change rooms now.”
