As we reach the second half of the season in MC Labour division 2 football, it’s starting to become clearer which sides are in contention to feature in the post-season.
Lower Plenty produced a remarkable upset over Old Paradians by 52 points at Garvey Oval.
Both sides locked in early, with there not being much to separate the two in the first half. A lunging tackle from Jack Chubb in the dying stages of the second quarter was rewarded with a free kick that was converted to a goal. This gave the Bears a 12-point advantage leading into the major break just after the siren.
The Raiders reduced the deficit to just six points through Mitch Kane, but from that point on, the Bears dominated the contest. They generated nine scoring shots in the third term, five of which resulted in major scores, taking the lead by 28 points late in the premiership quarter.
Marcus Nolan gave the home crowd some hope when he kicked truly after the three-quarter-time siren, seeing the deficit sit at a manageable 22 points.
Any hope of a comeback for Ben Turner’s team was quickly shut down, as Lower Plenty went onto find the next five goals.
The standout performer of the day was Chubb who kicked seven goals on return. Ben Smith was also among the best for the victorious side, accumulating plenty of ball and using it efficiently around the ground.
Raiders skipper Kyle O’Sullivan put in a strong performance. Liam McVeigh was also in their top end of players, slotting two goals and looking the most dangerous in attack for the hosts.
Fitzroy Stars clenched a thrilling six-point win over ladder leaders Northcote Park at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve in a low scoring affair.
The first quarter saw only three scoring shots between the two sides, with the Cougars getting the sole major in the opening minutes.
However, the second term belonged to the home side, piling on four goals and keeping Northcote Park to just one behind, seeing the Stars lead by 19-points at halftime.
Like the first quarter, the scoring was scarce in the penultimate period with the Cougars again registering the sole major score.
Northcote Park managed the first two goals of the final term, with the latter goal being Michael Amad’s set shot from the boundary, handing his side the lead.
The tricky conditions made scoreboard pressure invaluable, and Elijah Taylor’s snap out of a contested pack late in the game felt like it was worth a lot more than just six points, as it was enough for the Stars to hang onto a season defining win.
St Mary’s continued its winning form in the trip to De Winton Park, defeating Macleod by 37 points.
The Burra now have three wins on the trot, and four from their last five games as they prove to be one of the form teams of the competition.
Jack Bianchin’s side put in a full four quarter performance, managing six goals in the first quarter and at least two every following term. Wil Ryan had the hot hand early, snagging three majors before the first break.
Dom Akuei was named best on ground for the victorious side, playing a key role in defence with eight intercept possessions from his 13 disposals. Ryan finished the day with a total of four goals, while Jack Cicitta slotted three himself.
For Macleod, Mackenzie Hogg was the standout with the midfielder accumulating a season high 33 disposals and a goal. Patrick Martin was the leading goal kicker for the Kangaroos, finishing with three goals.
Panton Hill proved too good for Thomastown, running away 28-point winners at AE Cracknell Reserve.
In a remarkable win, the Redbacks now have a total of three wins for the season, all of which have come in the past four games.
This one looked different from the rest though where they had previously led for majority of the contest. On this occasion, Panton Hill had the upper hand early and went into quarter time with a 14-point lead. By the time the main break came, they trailed by 22 points.
Panton Hill managed to wrestle back some momentum during the third term, getting the margin down to just three points before goals from Youseph Dibb and Jeffrey Garlett gave the visitors some breathing room. A late goal to Jacob Jewitt saw the Bears holding a ten-point advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Redbacks went onto dominate the last 30 minutes of play. It was pure dominance as Riley Livingstone and Jason Pannam registered multiple goals, while Jewitt and Ryan Sizeland added one each.
South Morang got the better of Whittlesea, claiming a gritty seven-point win in tough conditions at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
The Lions controlled the game in the first half, heading into the main break with an 18-point lead while restricting their opponents to just ten points.
Whatever message Garry Ramsay gave this team at halftime clearly worked, with the Eagles finding the goals on three occasions during the third quarter to trail by just five points heading into the final term.
Despite having plenty of chances to gain the lead, it never came for the visitors who registered five behinds. Whittlesea dominated territory during the period, winning the inside 50 count 14 – 4. Even with the low amount of entries, the Lions found the match deciding goal halfway through the quarter.
It was a full team effort from South Morang, with no individual collecting anymore than 20 disposals. That said, James Hewson (20 disposals and six tackles) and Christian Mardini (15 disposals and five intercept marks) were among the best for the victorious side.
