Football
3 June, 2025
Dimboola and Stawell battle it out to the end
It was a four-point loss to Dimboola in round seven of the Wimmera Football Netball League, with the defeat at the hands of Stawell.
Despite a cracking start from Dimboola, their opposition didn't give up and eventually recorded the win 10.10 (70) 10.14 (74).
Stawell had extra reason to celebrate besides the win, with captain Sam Williams playing his 150th game in seniors.
Dimboola players Ben Miller, Dylan Landt and Simon Hobbs tried hard for the club all day, while Aiden Graveson, Jack Walker and Sam Williams were the better players for the winners.
In the forward lines, both clubs had players who had no trouble finding the big sticks, with Jackson Calder converting five majors for Dimboola and, not to be outshone, Paul Summers kicking the same for Stawell.
Coach of Dimboola Dean Toet reflected after the game on a match that could have been won, with his side having been up by 21 points at the end of the first quarter, 31 points at half-time, and nine points heading into the last term.
A disappointed leader, Toet said until half-time his side played good footy.
"It was a good standard of footy, there was a lot of pressure from both sides, until half-time we were definitely the better side, but we came out and I don't think they changed too much but their hunt and pressure was over four quarters and ours was only for two," he said.
"That's how basic it was, really."
Asked how he addressed their lack of performance over the four quarters with the side, Toet said it was mental, as well as fitness.
"We just dropped off and they had 18 contributors on the ground after half-time, and we didn't," he said.
"They were winning centre clearances, they were stronger in contests than us, and we were a different side after half-time.
"But we will go back and work on what we have to, and like I have said before, we can't take any team lightly.
"I think there could have been a bit there where we thought we were going alright and we could take the foot off the gas but they got the momentum and we couldn't stop it."
Jackson O'Neill going down in the early stages after half-time didn't help Dimboola's plight, with Toet adding he had been brilliant for the side before that in defence.
"I'm not saying that is the difference, but that helped," Toet said.
O'Neill pulled up a bit sore in his leg but the coach said with the King's Birthday bye, he should be okay to play the following week.
Toet described his side as "shattered" after the loss, lamenting it was the one that got away.
"But all credit to Stawell," the coach said, taking nothing away from their win.
"They played four quarters, and we didn't."