THE opening round of the 2021 season ushered in a new era for the competition.
Foster v Hill End
Enormous interest had been building in the past weeks as the clash of the MGFNL opening round between former Alberton Premiership side Foster and former grand finalist Hill End edged closer.
The Tigers had lost some key players in the time since their 2019 success, but youth and some recently acquired experience had them reasonably well prepared.
The Rovers on the other hand had possibly strengthened their squad from 18 months ago, but went into their first serious hit out of the year with just the solitary practice match under the belt and the view that their best football would not start to show until the weeks ahead.
The game didn’t disappoint, Foster leading the way at quarter time by 11 points, before Hill End started to win more of the ball and although inaccurate in front of goal the four majors from ten scoring shots in the second quarter had the Rovers leading by seven points at the main break.
Make no mistake, their appeared to be some feeling, even spite in the game as a new rivalry started to unfold in front of those that were witnessing the two sides meet for the first time.
“They were very vocal towards our guys at quarter time, not that we needed motivation but that helped, we were outplayed early as they played a lot of numbers behind the ball, but we made the necessary adjustments and looked great after quarter time, it was amazing to be playing under lights late at Foster,” Hill End coach Mike Santo said.
For the home side, Mitchell Allott, Matt Clark, Brendan Neville and Josh Toner were better players.
Tigers coach Sam Davies said Foster would take plenty from the clash.
“Happy with our efforts, we were undermanned but really stood up, depth is great with kids playing bi games, we have a bye next week then six players coming in,” Davies said.
Late in the game was when the Rovers took control as a one-point lead at three quarter time ended with a more comfortable 25-point win, thanks in the main to the efforts of Tyler Pratt, Ambrurupa Uliando, Luke Mulqueen, who booted five majors and Ben Kerrigan.
Both teams are sure to improve with some first choice players still to be considered in the weeks ahead.
Foster now have a week off with a bye before hosting Tarwin, Hill End at home to Boolarra in Round 2.
Newborough v Morwell East
Morwell East walked away with what appeared to be a comfortable 75 point victory, but the final result of 18.13 (121) to 7.4 (46) disguises an early game scare, that saw Newborough holding a quarter time lead and hanging tough early in the second quarter also.
The Bulldogs had worked tirelessly in the off-season, honing in on the talent required while still trying to maintain the numbers and the depth required to carry it through a season.
Even at home however, this was always going to be a tough round one assignment against an experienced Morwell East group.
The Hawks arrived with a hunger for success wanting to stamp their intentions loud and clear to the league.
“We were slow out of the blocks but as a mature group should, we stayed calm and wrestled back control,” Morwell East coach Devon Soutar said.
The visitors had turned a quarter time deficit of just three points at quarter time, into a 21-point lead at half-time, Newborough’s pace and skill were no match for the structure and relentless pressure from the Hawks.
“We started really well but just got overrun by a better side on the day,” Bulldogs coach Peter Ainsworth said.
As happy as Ainsworth would have been in his team’s first half effort, the latter half of the game was all Morwell East, with the like of Rob Michaelides, Jarrod Lont, Daniel Hutchison and Frank Marks all impacting the inevitable outcome.
It’s a starting point for Newborough under a new coach, but it won’t be any easier for them in Round 2 against Mirboo North.
MDU v Toora
With extremely good numbers during pre-season, Meeniyan Dumbalk United were excited to hit the field against a Toora team that has not burdened itself with too many expectations for 2021, the plan for the visitors was to simply get back to enjoying footy and let the season unfold.
MDU got off to a neat start in tricky conditions leading by 14 points at quarter-time, extending that to an impressive 23 points by the main break.
There are still some cobwebs to be blown out for both clubs, but you would have to have walked away believing that the home side would be destined for many more wins as the season unfolds.
Toora didn’t give it up, but just didn’t have the artillery to match with a much more powerful Demons side.
“In pretty inconsistent conditions, the team was able to to play a solid four quarter game, in a pretty even team performance, to record an eight goal win … the pressure around the ball from both sides was high with strong tackling a highlight,” MDU coach Peter Harris said.
Toora coach Luke Sanders was matter of fact.
“Meeniyan are good, we need to be better,” Sanders said.
For Toora, Ryan Ponton, Daniel Mock, Nathan Herrington, Peter Grant and Lachlan Ireland led the way but were no match for the better players of MDU in Toby Goss, Tom Corry and Wayne Stewart.
MDU will get a taste of new competition next week when they host Thorpdale, while Toora will be at home to an impressive Fish Creek.
Boolarra v Mirboo North
This is almost as tough as a first round match gets, a visiting Tiger side, with a lot of depth, and more than a handful of key position players, capable of playing at both ends of the ground ready to do whatever it took for a first up victory.
Boolarra were not at their best and they would need to have been for this to be a much more respectable scoreline.
The Demons weren’t embarrassed early a 19-point quarter time deficit increasing to 32 by half-time.
“The scoreboard in first half didn’t reflect the way we were playing, (we) just couldn’t put it on the scoreboard, their first couple of goals in the third quarter just broke the game open,” Boolarra coach Tony Giardina said.
That it did, the Tigers adding six more goals from their 13 scoring shots and icing the game by the final break.
“(I was) really impressed with our new players and first gamers at the club,” Tigers coach Josh Taylor said.
“Joe Brooks back to the club set us off in the middle with his tap work in the ruck gave our midfielders first use of the ball all day.
“Boolarra in the first half were really competitive but fell away late, our boys were positive all day and played very unselfish football.
Brooks’ good work was complimented by the efforts of Jeremy Salinger, Ben Campbell, and Jack Robertson, who slotted four majors.
Mirboo North venture to Newborough in Round 2, while it doesn’t get any easier for Boolarra, having to take on one of the early premiership favourites Hill End.
Fish Creek v Tarwin
This match, played at Tarwin, was an opportunity for both clubs to showcase the many hours of hard work in the weeks and months that had gone by.
The Sharks felt as though they had recruited extremely well across the board, given them much more depth, while the visiting Fish Creek had recruited a number of players with finals experience to complement their existing stocks of youth.
Finals are the obvious targets of both clubs and with a league that appears to now have plenty of depth, every win now will prove to be crucial at the business end of 2021.
The match started with plenty of intensity as expected, scores locked away at quarter time at two goals two behinds apiece, but it was Fish Creek that made the most of opportunities winning the final three quarters slowly extending their lead at each break, their win comfortable in the end.
For the Roos’ better players included Travis Manne, Willem Voorham, Bailey Harfield-Park and Colin McPhee.
Tarwin on their home deck would have expected more, but even the efforts of Matt Williams, Julian Patterson, Fergus Warren, Matt Zagni and Tom Van Der Kolk couldn’t keep the Sharks in the contest past quarter time.
Their home match against Stony Creek an important one so early in the season, while for Fish Creek a signal has been sent to the league that they may be a real challenger.
Thorpdale v Yinnar
Different clubs have different priorities, for Thorpdale, it’s about the basics, nurturing a local and youthful group to ensure future existence and complimenting that with a core of key players that might be able to fast track that goal.
Yinnar on the other hand have no problems with depth, or with experience, or with juniors, and by the way, they have all enjoyed a satisfying pre-season preparation.
In short this was always going to be a bridge too far for the Blues, but how they went about their business and what lessons could be learnt in week one, in some way could be as important as securing the points.
In short, the Blues performed above expectations, just a single goal behind at quarter-time and just a single point behind at half-time.
“With thirteen new faces from 2019 we were great for three quarters, we really took it to a good Yinnar side, seeing our game hold up was a real positive moving forward, but our fitness really hurt us in the end, with Yinnar rolling over us in the last quarter,” Thorpdale coach Ray Pickering said.
Yinnar coach Daniel Taylor was pleased to come away with the four points.
“Great to get the result in terribly windy conditions at Thorpy, the game was up for grabs at half-time and we were down two rotations, so to come out and have 17 scoring shots to three and run away with a comfortable win was great reward for the group after a great summer on the track,” he said.
The Blues would be pleased, as much as you can be in a loss, that at least there appears something to work with in 2021 after not tasting victory since 2019.
Daniel Johnson booted six goals in a best-on-ground performance for the Magpies, who were also well-served by Matt Moseley, Nathan Rowley and Kane Grinstead-Jones.
Shannon Pickering (three goals) was named as Thorpdale’s best player, with Jarrah Burgess and Andrew Irwin other notable contributors.
Thorpdale venture south to meet MDU in what will be another big challenge next week, Yinnar to face Morwell East.
