A DUO of thrilling games headlined round four of the Riddell District Football Netball League season.
Wallan took a modicum of revenge for last year’s elimination final defeat to Kyneton, sitting in top spot on the ladder thanks to a hard-fought 18-point victory over the Tigers away from home in an impressive result.
After a relatively free-flowing opening quarter, scoring was much harder to come by in the final three quarters, with the Magpies goalless in the second term to trail by 10 points at the main break.
However, a goal in the opening minutes of the third term through Hayden Gill helped Wallan get the second half off to a good start, taking the momentum by kicking three goals to one for the term, hitting the front by three-quarter-time, before sealing the game with two goals in the final 10 minutes through Lachlan Smart and Nash King to win 9.12 (66) to 6.12 (48).
Steven Boyall continued his electric start to the season with a best-on-ground performance, while Jake Carlisle, Corey Viani, Owen Fowler, Sean Morris and Hayden Gill were also named in the best players. King and Smart kicked two goals apiece to lead the line for the Magpies, who now enjoy the week off.
Romsey survived a thriller against Woodend-Hesket to move up into fifth position.
Things were looking comfortable for the Redbacks when they kicked four goals to one in the second term to lead the Hawks by 21 points at the main change.
But the Hawks fought back hard in the third quarter, kicking four goals to two behinds to hit the front at the final change.
Jack Jedwab was the key for the Redbacks, however, kicking two goals in the opening four minutes of the final term, three overall for the quarter, and five for the afternoon, to help steady the ship, surviving a final thrust from the Hawks to win 10.13 (73) to 10.9 (69).
Playing-coach Nathan Blair and Jedwab were named as the best players for the Redbacks, along with Nathan Tessari, Nathan Hoy, Ash Millane and Oscar Kruss Alexander.
Lancefield had a tough afternoon at Riddell as the reigning premiers flexed its muscle.
Trailing by 20 points at the first change, the Bombers were ruthless in the second quarter, kicking 11 goals to one to extend their lead to 79 points by the main change.
Lancefield’s best quarter up forward was the final term as it added five goals but was also powerless to stop Riddell from adding another nine goals as the Bombers won 27.11 (173) to 8.10 (58).
Thomas Sayers and Max Taylor kicked two goals apiece for the Tigers, who were well served by Walter King, Thomas Ogden, Hunter Jenkins, Matthew Bowden, Riley O’Meara and Rhys Barber.
In the A-grade netball competition, it was a different story for Lancefield, however, coming from behind at half time to score a thrilling one-goal win over the Bombers.
The Tigers trailed by three goals at the first change and by two goals at the main break but hit the front thanks to a 12-goal to eight third quarter to lead 34-32 at the final change.
In a goal-for-goal last stanza, the Tigers did enough to win 45-44 and sit in second position on the ladder as one of two remaining unbeaten teams.
Wallan also remain unbeaten and on top thanks to a comfortable 17-goal win over Kyneton.
Much of the damage was done in the third quarter as the Magpies built on its six-goal half time lead, scoring 15 goals to four to essentially end the contest, before easing to a 54-37 victory.
Romsey was left to rue a second half which saw the Redbacks outscored by 15 goals in losing to Woodend-Hesket.
The Redbacks were well in the game at half time, trailing by just one goal, but the Hawks flexed its muscle in the second half, scoring 15 goals to eight in the third quarter, before finishing with a 19-goal to 11 flourish to win 52-36.
