Round 10 of East Gippsland senior football produced two unfathomable results, with Boisdale-Briagolong toppling ladder leaders Wy Yung at their home ground, and Paynesville securing a thrilling one point win over final hopefuls Lucknow.
Meanwhile, Stratford easily accounted for Lakes Entrance and Orbost Snowy Rovers was too strong for Lindenow.
But the questions remain. What is in store for the rest of the season? The weekend’s results have certainly made the remaining six rounds and final make-up interesting.
BOISDALE-BRIAGOLONG defeated Wy Yung 12.8 (80) to 9.8 (62).
Whilst Wy Yung have well and truly locked in the minor premiership, sitting two games clear with three easier rounds left in the last six, the Bombers have given the top four hope that the giants are beatable, and perhaps a dent in the armour of a fast-paced Wy Yung side.
For the Bombers, they’ll be riding high, full of the confidence needed to succeed having now beaten every side in the competition.
Not just that, but they’ve now proven to the naysayers that they are able to adapt their style of play to suit wider, larger grounds away from home. It was the one question hanging over Boisdale-Briagolong’s head, now answered and in style against an opposition that has been premiership favourites since Round 1.
The Bombers went into the game with a clear plan on how they believed they could get the result, but would have been somewhat nervous in how Wy Yung would respond given their 9-0 start to the season.
The plan was to be tough, physical, to be able to get the game on their terms early on and apply scoreboard pressure in the hope that Wy Yung would panic and the younger bodies would find the tough relentless style of play hard to respond to.
For Boisdale-Briagolong, the physical presence came in the form of tackle pressure, and lots of it for a sustained four quarters all over the ground. Ultimately getting them the win they well and truly needed after their confidence was rocked by Stratford two rounds prior.
In the first quarter, it was goal-for-goal, with the Bombers taking a narrow two point lead into the second.
With the wind picking up in the second, the Bombers made the most of conditions, kicking 7.2 (44) to 1.3 (9) to be 33 points up at the main break.
Confident, but well aware the wind advantage remained, Wy Yung was able to get back in the game but not able to take the lead, a lead they never saw over the four quarters. The Bombers were too strong in the final term, and an 18 point victory was the end result.
Caleb Calwyn and Thomas Jolly kicked four apiece for the winners, with Jim Reeves finishing with two. Best players were Jolly, Calwyn, Thomas Bradshaw, Shaymus Wain, Andrew Quirk, and Nathan Flint.
For Wy Yung, Brodie Anderson kicked three, with Bayden Ashwood and Jai Nicholls each kicking two. Ashwood was joined in the best by Tom Betts, Marcus Hottes, Jet Kellow, Jai Nicholls and Sam Stewart
AS expected, Stratford was too good for Paynesville, finishing the game 23.15 (153) to the Gulls 4.6 (30).
In a 123-point win, Stratford appeared flat – a worrying trend as they’ve been this way now for the last two rounds.
The Swans will need to fire up in coming weeks, as they take on an almost certain top-four finisher in Orbost Snowy Rovers in a fortnight.
Before that however, they take on Lindenow, a side that Stratford has struggled against historically away from home and who.
To the Swans’ credit, it takes a strong side to be able to win by more than 100 points against any opposition. Whilst not at their best, they comprehensively won each quarter at the weekend.
A shining light has been the return of Haydn Erfurth, who kicked eight on the weekend. His strong overhead marking and accuracy in front of goal was too much for the Seagulls defenders at the weekend.
Erfurth was joined by Tim Hawkins who kicked four and Rodney O’Keefe (three) in the goal-kickers list. Stratford hardman Zane Perkins, utility Lewis Bolton and the ever-reliable Regan Tait were in the best players.
For Lakes Entrance, Ben Rotheram was the only multiple goal-kicker with two.
Not surprisingly, Liam Carroll was named in the best again, alongside Rotherham and Carroll. Bryce Collings, Harvey Geier, Matthew Duggan, and Oscar Brazzale also played well.
The Swans will take as much confidence out of the Bombers beating Wy Yung as the Bombers themselves, given their 50-plus point win against Boisdale-Briagolong only two rounds previous.
PAYNESVILLE’S victory 9.15 (69) to 9.14 (68) victory over Lucknow could well have ended the finals hopes for a side that, preseason, would have been hopeful of going deep into a finals campaign.
It was 84 days between wins for Paynesville, after toppling Lindenow in an upset victory in Round 1. But this result would be so much sweeter, as it showed the Gulls’ ability to match it with sides above them on the ladder.
Traditionally we’ve seen that it’s not only sides inside the top four or five that will impact how the finals will play out, and this now makes it difficult for Lucknow to finish top four, with Orbost Snowy Rovers now a game and 10 percentage points clear.
Paynesville coach Ash Watt was happy with his side’s ability to win the contest early.
Watt stated that winning the ball from the middle “allowed us to create more scoring shots, (and) was the reason for being in front at halftime.”
Following the halftime break, Lucknow made a few changes which sent panic to the Paynesville bench as they worked to ensure the match-ups were correct.
Going into the last quarter four points down, Paynesville didn’t want to let the win slip away. With the lead changing three times in the last, accuracy could have cost Paynesville, but they managed to snatch the lead with two minutes to spare.
IN the other game of the round, Orbost Snowy Rovers was too strong for Lindenow.
Making the most of the upset victory of Paynesville, the Blues moved a game clear of Lucknow after kicking 15.15 (105) to Lindenow’s 9.13 (67).
