Macleod claimed its first win of the 2013 season, defeating Lower Plenty in a very scrappy contest at De Winton Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was a match riddled by skill errors but Macleod kicked clear after a goalless opening term to win 11.15 (81) to 5.10 (40).
Languishing in the lower reaches of the ladder, both teams were desperate for the four points but Macleod was the hungrier outfit and lifted itself from tenth to sixth on the table following the victory.
The first quarter was an akin to an under-9s scoreboard scenario. Macleod scored five behinds to lead Lower Plenty’s three behinds. Both sides were using the ball well through the wings and centre but couldn’t finish it off up forward.
Finally, in the fifth minute of the second term, Mathew Pow kicked the first goal of the match for Macleod after Lower Plenty dominated early play. This started an avalanche of goals for Macleod who recorded the next four, including a long bomb from outside 50m by Justin White.
Brad Leggett was the standout for Macleod in defence, standing tall against the Bears’ forwards. Kane Shaw was also dominant in the back half for Macleod racking up possessions and clearing the ball when needed.
By half-time, Lower Plenty had registered a lousy eight behinds to trail Macleod by 31 points.
It was an intriguing ruck dual between Chris Long for Macleod and Benjamin Buller for the Bears. Both of them were won plenty of taps with the honours shared during the first half. For Macleod, Hamish Paynter was a force in the midfield, getting plenty of goal assists and doing all the little one percenters.
After the break, the Kangaroos burst out of the blocks with the first four goals of the the quarter to assume a 54-point lead midway through the third term.
But after two and a half quarters, Lower Plenty finally kicked truly through Reece Geary after a quick switch from the backline.
The Bears kicked the next two majors and headed into the final quarter trailing by 37 points. They were starting to get more of the football but Macleod was just too skilled for them to have a big impact.
The final term was again low scoring with both teams kicking only one goal. However, it was of no concern to Macleod who recorded its first win under Garry Ramsay, coincidentally against his former side who he led to the 2011 Division 2 premiership.
Macleod now takes on Epping at home as it looks to make it two wins on the trot, whilst Lower Plenty makes the short trip to Greensborough.
Final score: Macleod 11.15 (81) def Lower Plenty 5.10 (40)
