Football
1 July, 2024
Demons upset Ararat in thrilling contest
The Demons upset Ararat by two points at Horsham City Oval in round ten of the Wimmera Football Netball League, with scores needing to be adjusted after the final siren.
The scoreboard showed that Ararat had won, but the umpires confirmed that the Demons were victorious.
Ararat led by ten points at quarter-time, extending the lead to 13 at half-time.
In the third quarter, the Demons were trailing by five goals at one point, but they kicked the last couple of goals to bring the margin back to 21 points at three-quarter time.
The Demons started to get control in the last quarter, kicking five goals to one to win in a thriller, 11.13.79 to 10.17.77.
Jordon Motton kicked four goals for the Demons, with Jasper Gunn being the best on the ground through the midfield. Billy Carberry and Brody Pope were also outstanding for the Demons.
For Ararat, Tom Mills returned following a broken jaw to lead the way with three goals, with Jack Ganley and Matthew Spalding among their best players.
Demons coach Jordy Burke said he thought they had won.
"I had an inkling we had won as both teams got a message on the bench that the scores were wrong," Burke said.
"Ryan Kept had a shot after the siren, thinking it was for the win; he missed, and everyone thought we lost. Thankfully, they were confirmed as wrong. It was a great win."
Burke said his message at three-quarter-time was to persevere.
"I have been harping on it all season, especially in the last month, in that we had to persevere and keep working, hold the line, and stick to the game plan," Burke said.
"To be able to translate that into a win and not be talking about an honourable loss has shown they understand what needs to be done, and I commended the boys on that after the game.
"They nailed the clutch and critical moments and stood up, which was nice."
"Jasper Gunn played his best game for the club so far, and he has just been building each week and is having a bit more of an influence now. Yesterday suited him to the ground as he hit the ball hard and managed to kick two goals up forward."
Stawell prevail over the Horsham Saints in a thriller
Stawell defeated the Horsham Saints at Central Park by four points in a thriller.
In a tight first quarter, the Saints got on top and took a six-point lead into quarter-time. The Warriors pegged it back in the second quarter and took the lead by a point at half-time.
In the third quarter, the Saints kicked three goals to one to lead by six points at three-quarter-time.
The Saints were leading late in the quarter, but the Warriors found a way to win, 9.14.68 to 10.4.64.
Cody Driscoll kicked six goals for the Warriors, with Jackson Dark, Josh Fowkes, and Thomas Eckel all outstanding.
For the Saints, Mitch Martin kicked four goals in the midfield, with Sam Clyne, Gage Wright, and William Taylor among their best.
Saints coach Ben Knott said it was a great game of football.
"Both teams applied plenty of pressure and gave it a red hot crack, and it definitely would have been a good game for the neutral supporters," Knott said.
"The boys rebounded well. They knew last week wasn't acceptable, and they came out with a point to prove, and everyone lifted. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the win, but we know what we can do when we play to our best."
The Saints have been crippled by injury all year. They suffered another two, with Angus Martin on crutches at the end of the game with an ankle injury and Arden Sodello suffering a knee injury in his first senior match of the year.
Knott said Mitch Martin had a brilliant game after he instructed him to move forward a bit more.
"Mitch has been getting a lot of touches in the backline, so I told him I wanted him to get less and get in the front half and get dangerous, which is where he plays best, and that is what he did," Knott said.
"He kicked four goals playing in the midfield a fair bit, and he didn't have so many possessions, but the ones he had were quite impactful, which is much better for us."
Nhill run over Minyip Murtoa in the last quarter to secure victory
A six-goal to-one final quarter saw Nhill return from a ten-point deficit at three-quarter-time to defeat Minyip Murtoa by 27 points at Davis Park.
The Burras controlled the game early, taking a 15-point lead into quarter-time. The Tigers kicked four goals in the second quarter to peg the margin back to nine points at half-time.
It was a tight third quarter, but the Burras held firm to take a 10-point lead into the last break.
With a loss detrimental to their season, the Tigers responded in the last quarter, running over the Burras to win 15.12.102 to 11.9.75.
Xavier Bone kicked five goals for the Tigers, with Daniel Batson and Jake Harrap among their best players.
For the Burras, Oscar Gawith kicked another six goals for the second consecutive week, and Samuel Griffiths and Tanner Smith also excelled.
Southern Mallee Thunder thrash Warrack Eagles to go a game clear
The Thunder moved a game clear of Ararat on the ladder following a comfortable 97-point win over the Eagles at Anzac Park.
The Eagles were competitive in the first half, trailing by 23 points at quarter-time and 24 at half-time.
After half-time the Thunder asserted their dominance, holding the Eagles scoreless, kicking seven goals to lead by 69 points at three-quarter time.
They held the Eagles scoreless again in the last quarter to run out 18.12.120 to 3.5.23 victors.
Bradley Lowe kicked six goals in the win, with Thomas Clarke, Xavier Oakley, and Angus McSweyn outstanding.
For the Eagles, Jai Kovatseff kicked two goals, with Machok Garang outstanding alongside William Batson and Ryan McKenzie.