With only one week remaining in the North Central Football Leagues home and away matches we have again had movement in our top four positions. Birchip-Watchem who played and defeated Charlton started the day in second position and now sits third with Donald overtaking them to take second position on percentage, but can they hold onto it. The final round match between Donald and St Arnaud will play a big part in the final outcome of the top four where a couple of changes could still possibly happen. If Donald wins they retain second place, if they lose then the margin they go done by will determine if they remain there or Birchip-Watchem returns to second as they trail the Royal Blues by under 4 percent and for Charlton to get second position would mean that they would have to win and make up the present fifteen percent they trail Donald by and this is a big ask.
Birchip-Watchem v Charlton
In a game that was close all day Birchip-Watchem got the points over Charlton by 9-points. The Bulls led the Navy Blues by eight points at quarter time, six at half time with a goal after the siren and at the final break the margin was just three points as the sides headed for interesting final term with the winner gaining that vital second position on the ladder. The final quarter was similar to the first three terms and scoring for both sides was had to come by. Birchip-Watchem who had Castellano dominating up forward stretched the lead but Charlton struck back to bring the margin back under a goal. The Bulls got the final goal of the match to give them their nine point win. Castellano kicked four goals with Messer getting three and Gilmore two, Zac Holmes was named as their best with Messer, Hinkley, Cusack, Noonan and O’Loughlan also being named in their best. For the Navy Blues Mick Laffin finished with two goals and was also named in their better players. Aaron and Ben Walklate, Luke Kyriakides, Mark Vigus, Luke Mulquiny returning from a long layoff and Joe McLean were named as Charlton’s best.
Final score Birchip-Watchem 12-5=77 def Charlton 10-8=68
Wedderburn v Donald
Donald with plenty to play for controlled the game against the Redbacks from the first bounce kicking the first three goals of the game. Wedderburn got their first goal late in the quarter through Nathan Holt with their second goal coming from Will Tonkin and the Royal Blues answered just on siren time to hold a 16-point lead.
From this point the Donald side gradually built on their lead extending it out to 32 points mainly due to the good work of Haddow, Darcy Harrison and Charlie Murrie. Fisher who had plenty of the ball in the opening term was now being tagged by Lowry who restricted the Donald Coaches input into the game. As the game went on the Donald’s chances of grabbing second place was increasing with their lead at three quarter time out to fifty points. Seamus Young who kicked five goals for the Royal Blues looks to have sown up the leading goal kicking, he holds a two goal lead with a game to go and his nearest rivals in Castellano and Gilmore have the bye in the final round. In the final quarter the Donald side kicked out to win by 59-points in what was a good display with Haddow being named their best and he had good support from Darcy Harrison 2 goals, Charlie Murrie, Seamus Young, Glenn Wyatt and Ryan Leeder. Best for the Redbacks was Brett Strange, Corey Lowry, Nathan Holt, Danny Benaim, Jacob DeAraugo and Nathan Bell. Wedderburn’s major goal kickers were Ben DeAraugo and Luke Rosa with three each.
Final scores Donald 18-14=122 def Wedderburn 9-9=63
Boort v Wycheproof-Narraport
With everything to play for the Wycheproof-Narraport Demons didn’t get away to the start they were hoping for as both sides went to the quarter time break locked at 1-2 each. The Demons got a mini break in the second term as they got out to a 27-point lead by half time with Boort only adding one point to their quarter time score.
Wycheproof-Narraport although leading were not really setting the world on fire and this continued into the third term where they could only manage three goals for the term with the Magpies adding one. At the final break the Demons lead was forty two points but they would have been hoping for a much larger lead with only a quarter to play. In the final quarter the Demons added four goals to Boort’s one to run out winners by 65 points but their chance of a finals berth for 2015 looks doomed with their hopes riding on Boort causing an upset win over Charlton and the Demons getting the points over the Redbacks in their final game. For the Demons Dane McLennan was their main goal kicker with three with James Coatsworth and Decan Lourey kicking two goals each. Jesse White was named best for the Demons with Ruckman Chris Howgate, Kristian McNicol, Dec Lourey, Joe Coatsworth and Dane McLennan featuring in the awards. For the Magpies Keiran Wilson was named best with special mentions to Craig Rutley, Sam Taylor, Shaun Pearce, Cam Chalmers and Judd Walsh-Coutts.
Final scores Wycheproof-Narraport 12-16=88 def Boort 3-5=23
Next week’s games
Donald v St Arnaud
Wycheproof-Narraport v Wedderburn
Charlton v Boort
Birchip-Watchem Bye
Last Modified on 31/08/2015 16:31