Liam Durkin
ROUND nine of North Gippsland football returned no great surprises, although there was no shortage of talking points as results came to hand.
WOODSIDE again won a close and low-scoring game.
Travelling to Yarram, the Wildcats returned home with a gutsy 5.6 (36) to 4.7 (31) win.
The Wildcats just keep finding a way to have their noses in front, and have won their last three games by less than five points.
Unbelievably, previous to this result, Woodside won consecutive games by a single point.
Scrapping it out with the Demons, Woodside took a slender lead at quarter time, and managed to hold onto a similar lead at the main break before Yarram hit the front with a quarter to play.
The difference ended up being in the conversion, as Woodside kicked two goals in the last to Yarram’s two behinds, ultimately netting the Wildcats victory.
Ben Johnson, Tom Jessup and favourite son Ryan Foat were best for Woodside.
David Brinker-Ritchie, Jack Weston and Roland De Biase put in solid efforts for Yarram.
SALE City survived another scare from a team in the bottom three.
After crawling over the line against Glengarry last week by three points, the Bulldogs shook off a persistent Cowwarr outfit, which refused to go down without a fight on its home deck.
Just three points in favour of Sale City was the margin at halftime, yet the Bulldogs were able to take this out to a comfortable 20 point lead at three quarter time.
Sale City found three goals in the last term to ensure victory, as the four Cowwarr kicked proved to be too little, too late.
The Bulldogs won 9.12 (66) to 8.6 (54) to keep their season and ambition of playing finals alive.
Michael Todd played a good game, as did Lachlan Carman and Bohdi Walker for Sale City.
For Cowwarr, best were Jack Casson, Nick Wozniak and Ben Coffey, who kicked two goals.
CHURCHILL passed its litmus test against Heyfield with an 11 point victory at home.
The Cougars led at every change, holding off a gallant Kangaroos outfit to win 11.9 (75) to 9.10 (64).
The match was virtually neck-and-neck for the most part, with the margin at quarter and three quarter time just five points.
Churchill kicked three goals in the last term and Heyfield could not quite bridge the gap.
Jake Roe-Dugan led the scoring for the victors with four, while youngster Bailey Flanigan was best on ground, followed by Nick Celima.
Tyson Birss was best for the Kangaroos, and received good support from Brayden Woodland and Shaun Humphreys.
With Churchill putting another four points in the bank, Heyfield may have to rob the same bank to snap its four game losing streak.
After beginning the season with four wins on the trot, the Kangaroos have not won a game since, which has been exacerbated because of the three week lockdown — meaning it has been eight weeks between drinks.
YALLOURN-Yallourn North overcame a sluggish start to defeat Rosedale.
The Bombers yet again powered away after halftime, slamming on nine goals to one in the second half to win 13.19 (97) to 6.5 (41) at home.
Everything the Blues touched in the first quarter turned to gold, as they put up 5.3 (33) to just four behinds. There was clearly a scoring end at George Bates Reserve, as in the second term YYN kicked four goals from 12 scoring shots.
As teams went in for the main break, the margin was only three points to the Bombers, but by three quarter time it had bled out to 34 points.
YYN’s Anthony Young was best-on-ground, along with Braden Paulet and Keenan Hughes, who snagged four majors.
Rosedale’s Brandon McDonald did the best for his team with three goals, joined by Wilson Gaudion, Luke Lossberg and Jake Suter as the Blues’ prime movers on the day.
GLENGARRY inflicted Gormandale with a huge defeat.
Playing at home, the Magpies could not be denied and ended up winning by 157 points, 25.21 (171) to 1.8 (14).
Glengarry burst out of the blocks with six goals in the first quarter and never looked back from there.
Gormandale must surely now be fearing the worst after losing by more than 150 points to a team that was only two positions ahead of it on the ladder.
If the Tigers’ team sheet is any indication to their struggles — six players were without a jumper number.
Jack Burgess, Mitchell Jones and Luke Mackay battled hard for the Tigers.
