Sport
15 August, 2023
Eagles break Giants droughts
WARRACK Eagles has celebrated their first win for the 2023 Wimmera Football League season with an upset win over Southern Mallee Giants at Anzac Park on Saturday. Wild celebrations grasped the Eagles faithful as they celebrated their first win over...
WARRACK Eagles has celebrated their first win for the 2023 Wimmera Football League season with an upset win over Southern Mallee Giants at Anzac Park on Saturday.
Wild celebrations grasped the Eagles faithful as they celebrated their first win over the Giants since their introduction to the league in 2019.
The thrilling climax resulted in a two-point win to the Eagles, topping a big day for the home team which also included a narrow three-point victory in the reserves and a strong win in the Under 14s which all followed a Wimmera Whippets clash that kicked off the day.
The breakthrough win highlighted the penultimate round of the season where Minyip-Murtoa moved into fourth place when they recorded a narrow four-point win over a dogged Nhill and Stawell kept their finals hopes alive when they defeated Horsham by 13 points.
In the battle of the top two teams, Ararat underlined their premiership favouritism when they recorded a potent 83-point over second-placed Horsham Saints on the home turf at Alexandra Oval.
In front of a big crowd at Anzac Park, the Eagles found themselves right in the contest early when they controlled possession of the ball but were unable to convert forward entries as the Giants matched the desperate efforts and won their share of the ball.
It took 17 minutes before the first goal of the match was registered when Eagles key forward Joe McKinnon goaled after marking from the top of the square .
Light misty rain made conditions slightly slippery as both teams worked hard to set up scoring chances as the Eagles took an eight-point lead into quarter time as Sam White, who made his return to the line-up after seven weeks on the sidelines, matched McKinnon’s opening goal with his team’s first major after marking on the goal line.
McKinnon kicked a second goal from a set shot 30 metres out as the second term began with both teams working the ball through the lines before Giants midfielder Mickitja Rotumah-Onus looked to have kicked the first goal of the quarter.
However, the goal was overturned as boundary and field umpires came together with the goal umpire to decide the ball just missed its mark for a minor score.
But the overrule sparked the Giants as Luke Mahony sparked his team with successive goals, causing a defensive turnover for his first before snapping truly a minute later as the Giants looked to assume control of the match.
And when White snapped a goal from the boundary line from 30 metres for his second, the Giants led by 10 points at half time to reward some hard running through the midfield from Mickitja, Mahony and Coleman Schache.
Both teams gave respective forwards chances to convert scores as Eagles defender Kyle Cheney continued his strong form with 10 first half marks to limit the Giants chances, teaming well with Dylan Watts, Declan Powell and Sean McKenzie through the midfield who fed off the work of ruckman Jacob Sobey.
Looking to extend their Eagles through the lines, the Giants attacked hard in the opening 15 minutes and took their lead to four goals when Mahony landed a long goal from 50 metres before Billy Lloyd snapped truly a minute later as the visitors looked the goods to put some separation on the scoreboard.
But the Eagles were able to answer the challenge as Lachie Stewart topped a strong piece from 45 metres before Sean McKenzie goaled on the run after charging from the centre to reduce the deficit on the scoreboard to 11 points at three quarter time.
The final term did all justice to the closeness of the match as the final result came down to the final seconds after the Giants looked to have put themselves in a good position late in the term.
However, it was the Eagles who struck first when Ryan McKenzie goaled from a tight angle from 40 metres to cut the margin to five points before Kai Sheer restored the 11 point margin with a goal shortly after.
McKenzie then looked to have answered for the Eagles before a desperate defensive act touched the ball on the line as McKinnon kicked his third goal for the match to cut the margin to four points midway through the term.
Some minor scores had the Giants ahead by seven points as Zac Robins snapped truly to give his team a 13 point lead as the game entered the time-on period of the term.
From that point of the match, it was the Eagles who took up the challenge as Declan Powell was awarded a free kick and converted from 30 metres to cut the lead back to seven points and when McKenzie again goaled from a tight angle at the 25 minute mark, the Eagles trailed by just one point.
A crucial centre clearance saw the Eagles again take the ball back into their attacking half where Cheney won a free kick and a shot on goal from 40 metres which missed the mark but had scores level in the dying minutes.
A shot on goal by coach Danny Bell on the run gave the Eagles the lead by one point as they claimed all the momentum and with another minor score led by two points before the siren rang shortly after to give the home team their opening win of the season.
Cheney was a standout throughout the match with some 15 marks, setting up team-mates down the ground with Nick Ingram, Phil Huebner, Aaron Watts and brother Jake in defence who led the celebrations as the team belted out the theme song for the first time with some gusto in front of a packed room of supporters who rode every part of the match with the players from both teams.