Football
29 July, 2024
Maddern's after-the-siren goal leads Cougars to victory
Kaniva Leeor co-captain Jock Maddern kicked a goal from 35m out after the siren to guide the Cougars to a four-point win over Rupanyup in round 15 of the Horsham District Football Netball League.
The Panthers converted their opportunities early in the game, kicking five goals straight to lead by 14 points at quarter-time.
The game remained close in the second quarter, with the Cougars not capitalising on their opportunities to trail by 16 points at half-time.
The Cougars scored the only goal in the third quarter, reducing the deficit to 12 points at three-quarter time.
The last quarter was an arm wrestle, with the Cougars hitting the front at one point. However, the Panthers fought back to lead for the last 10 minutes of the game, and Maddern got his opportunity in front of the goal to seal the match after the siren.
It was a tough shot into the wind, but he nailed it, and the Cougars ran out 10.8.68 to 9.10.64 winners.
Patrick Munn kicked a game-high four goals for the Cougars in a best-on-the-ground performance, with Hamish Bennett, Daniel White, Harley Bennell, Jonty Brown, and Jock Maddern also among their best players.
Christopher Schaper kicked three goals for the Panthers, with Bill Hansen, Mitchell Gleeson, Kane Timmins, Lachlan Holm, Joshua Bolitho, and Daniel Schaper their better players.
Kaniva Leeor's coach Jonno Hicks said they thought they were in the game all day.
"We played fairly well all day, we just had a few opportunities that we couldn't convert, and they were clean when they went the other way," Hicks said.
"Converting has been an issue for us all year, and we had our chances, but we competed well and had good passages and could convert in the last."
Hicks couldn't point out any players, citing a full team effort led them to the win.
"It was a genuine team game, and we could have named everyone one of our best players. Everyone did a great job, did their role, and it's pleasing for the team," Hicks explained.
"It was also probably the best team we have fielded this year, and the boys can be proud of how we played against a great team."
Last year the Cougars fell into a hole towards the end of the year, but this season they are fighting to the end, being able to pick up wins, and Hicks said it's a credit to the group for not giving up.
"The group we have at the moment have a fantastic attitude, and they never say die, they fight, and they scrape to the last second," Hicks said.
"We talked about last year's disappointment in dropping off the way we did, and we didn't want that to happen again, so the fact we can fight out the year this year is a good credit to the boys, and we can take a lot into next year."