IT was everything you could have wanted in a marquee match-up for round six of the Riddell District Football Netball League. Electric ball movement, high scoring, both teams throwing themselves at the contest, and late drama.
That was the story of Wallan’s 26-point win which left the Greenhill Reserve crowd in a frenzy as the Magpies charged home with six of the last seven goals to overwhelm fellow premiership fancy Diggers Rest, taking stock as the league’s last undefeated team.
Early on, however, it looked anything but. The Burra shot out of the blocks with a heavy breeze, kicking five of the first six goals to open up an early 27-point cushion, 34-7, with Wallan’s only shot fired by Steven Boyall.
Wallan slowly got into the game, however, and it was a combination of the club’s new faces, experienced faces and young players who helped give the Magpies an avenue back into the game.
Celebrating his 100th game, Sean Morris got among the goalscorers, as did new faces Lachlan Smart and Dion Hill. Senior debutant Campbell Harrison closed the gap, before Corey Viani and two late efforts from Chris Stewart meant the game was turned on its head – Wallan kicking eight goals for the term to lead by 15 points at the main break, 57-42.
Already, this was proving to be a survival-of-the-fittest type matchup, and it was Wallan on the front foot, with Diggers Rest losing troops, including league-leading goalscorer Callum Moore, who did not appear in the second half.
When Morris kicked his second, the lead was 21 points, and the Magpies were looking good. But more importantly, against the breeze, the Magpies successfully shut down plenty of forward thrusts. Jake Carlisle was important in the third, hauling down intercept mark after intercept mark to keep the Burra at bay.
The Magpies led by 10 points at the final change, 65-55, but Diggers Rest fired the first two shots of the last term to close the gap to just one point.
There was drama aplenty. Domenic Luci restored a seven-point lead, but at the 17-minute mark, Diggers Rest found itself in front by five points.
As it turned out, not even half the quarter had passed. Smart bobbed up to kick two crucial goals to help Wallan hit back, before Nash King looked as though he had sealed the game at the 24-minute mark.
That wasn’t all, however. Another goal to Diggers Rest meant the margin was eight points with 30 minutes goal, before Wallan somehow found three more goals, through Harrison, Smart and King, to eventually cap off a hectic 12-goal, 38-minute final quarter to win 17.9 (111) to 13.7 (85) in an instant classic.
Boyall and Morris played inspirational games leading from the front, while Carlisle was a tour-de-force at centre half back. Owen Fowler, Hayden Gill and Stewart completed the best players.
ROMSEY OUTCLASSED BY CATS
By Cooper O’Brien
A total demolition job in Romsey on Saturday afternoon saw Macedon come into the game with form, winning five of six games for the year.
The round six clash is the first time the Cats have returned to Romsey Park since their unsuccessful premiership attempt in last year’s grand final.
Macedon young gun Michael Rutledge kickstarted the Cats with the first three to start the game.
Macedon dominated clearances early and it led to multiple goals putting Romsey under the pump within minutes.
The Cats dominated the first quarter setting a high bar for Romsey to respond to in the second.
Romsey coach Nathan Blair’s quarter time message was to hold back in defence, slow it down and move the ball latterly.
“They’re giving us the space. We need to start using it defensively and with the wings.”
The second quarter was goalless for Romsey.
They were poor in the midfield and couldn’t convert in front of goal when the opportunity presented itself.
Macedon continued their dominance with goals coming from turnovers and centre clearances.
Blake Watson showed his dominance physically and put on the scoreboard pressure marking a seven goal to one lead for the Cats at half time.
Romsey’s third quarter needed some juice to keep their supporters interested.
The Redbacks came out strong with multiple scoring chances early and two quick goals from end-to-end transitions.
They didn’t necessarily have much of a sniff at this point in the game, but they started to show a bit of fight for the first time in the game.
They continued to bring the physicality throughout the quarter, but with that came recklessness.
They gifted two direct goals from unnecessary down field free kicks off the ball, which then sparked Rutledge to finish a set shot in front of goal and approach youngster Oscar Alexander straight after sparking a full team mele.
Fintan Light kicked one of the goals of the year late in the last quarter, handballing over a opposition player to then run on from the boundary, roughly 40 metres out and bend it through with a banana.
He looks to be a promising young gun in the Macedon outfit which could help them go deep in finals once again.
The final term saw Romsey come out and kick the first three goals. Jack Jedwab had 2 goals in the quarter, one from a tough spot close to the boundary.
But Macedon again quickly responded kicking three of the last four to end up winning the game by 63 points.
Rutledge’s six goals gives him best on, Watson closely following, kicking two goals but having a major impact all around the ground.
Romsey now fall to seventh on the RDFNL ladder winning two of the first five games.
ELSEWHERE IN THE RIDDELL
Lancefield’s quest for a first win of the season goes on, with a costly third quarter proving the difference against Woodend-Hesket.
The Tigers were well in the game at half time, kicking three goals to two in the second term to trail by three points, but the Hawks ran rings around the Tigers in the third term, kicking five goals to one to lead by 29 points at the last change.
A further six goals to three ensured the Hawks would win 16.13 (109) to 9.8 (62).
Thomas Sayers kicked three goals, while Luca McTrusty, Tyreese Sefer-Govender, Tully Fattore, Leroy Ristevski and Riley O’Meara were the Tigers’ better players.
In the A grade netball competition, Wallan is also the last unbeaten team, defeating Diggers Rest 59-38.
A big first quarter which yielded 15 goals to four was the tonic for the Magpies, while 19 goals to 10 in the third quarter extended the margin to 21 goals by the end of the game.
Rebekah Konstantopoulos scored 30 goals, while Ebony Leech on debut added 19.
Lancefield faded out in the final quarter, losing its first game of the season to Woodend-Hesket 43-49.
The Tigers did not trail in any of the first three quarters, holding a two-goal lead at half time and one goal at the final change, but the Hawks scored 15 goals to eight in the final term to overwhelm Lancefield.
Shanae Brundell scored 25 goals for the Tigers, while Lilli Florance scored 18.
Romsey was no match for Macedon, losing by 18 goals.
The Redbacks were jumped in the opening quarter, trailing by six goals, but it was the third quarter where much of the damage was done by the Cats, scoring 17 goals to nine as the lead was 20 goals at the final change, before Romsey won the last quarter.
Maddison Thompson scored 21 goals for the Redbacks.
