Kindly provided by Central Vic Footy

Carisbrook v Natte Bealiba

Carisbrook overcame poor kicking for goal to defeat an undermanned Natte Bealiba by 48 points in Round 15 of the Bendigo Bank Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League.

In the end it was a convincing 11.16 (82) to 5.4 (34) win for Brook which had to overcome a Natte side determined to keep its premiership defence on track coming into the finals.

Rain had made the Natte ground wet and slippery in places and players from both sides struggled to perform at their usual standard of delivery.

Given the conditions it was no surprise that Nick Robinson and Ryan Hudson-Morgan were in the thick of the action early for the visitors.

Carisbrook matched up Liam Offer on Alex Collins while Jeremy McInnes started at half back and was prominent throughout.

Jon Grey went to Steve Ross and limited his impact while Patty Jenes and Scott Adam dominated the ruck giving running players including Marcus Emmett plenty of opportunities.

Jenes was damaging both at the stoppages as well as a running player.

Natte relied heavily on Jacob Long early while as Brook applied plenty of pressure but could manage just one goal from five scoring shots in the first term.

Carisbrook again dominated possession in the second term but poor finishing resulted in three goals and five behinds for the term.

Natte staged a mini comeback from limited opportunities with three quick goals to Collins reducing the deficit to just 13 points at half time – 4.9 (33) to 3.2 (20).

During the term Natte’s Ian Martin started to find the ball as did Nathan Ross, Mark Fitzgerald and Zac Perez while Tyson Mortlock was playing a lone hand in the ruck.

For Brook Nathan Wright was busy across half forward while Emmett continued to drive the ball forward.

In the third term Martin went forward for Natte to provide a focal point and Daniel Gifford lifted his work rate around the ground.

Carisbrook’s dominant midfield started to provide opportunities up forward and goals to Jackson Bowen and Tom Wright gave their side a 22 point lead at three quarter time – 6.14 (50) to 4.4 (28).

While leading comfortably Carisbrook was wasteful in front of goals and keeping Natte’s hopes alive.

Brook captain Tom Wright kick started his side’s final term with a courageous attack on a high ball running back with the flight and into the path of Collins.

Hudson-Morgan then stepped up and was the in and under player needed to get the Redbacks firing.

Two quick goals to Nathan Wright, one to Bowen and a third to Wright saw the margin balloon before Hudson-Morgan topped off a great day with a long left foot goal.

Natte defenders tried to stem the flow with Perez, Fitzgerald and Karl Morley fighting hard.

The scoring shot differential – 27 to 9 – was indicative of Carisbrook’s pressure on the Natte ball carriers and its dominance in the midfield.

Best for Brook were Ryan Hudson-Morgan, Jon Gray, Patrick Jenes and Nathan Wright while Natte was best served by Daniel Giffard, Nathan Ross, Zac Perez and Karl Morley.

Carisbrook still has work to do to take advantage of it’s inside forward 50s while Natte will need to regroup with one round of the home and away season.

Injuries have hit at the wrong time for the reigning premiers but the proud club will certainly lift when the finals action starts.

Dunolly v Maryborough Rovers

A sturdy showing by Rovers in the second term allowed the Magpies to set up a strong win against Dunolly at Deledio Park on Saturday.

Inaccuracy was costly for the Magpies in the first term, but after a talking to by coach Scott Sellers, the Magpies kicked seven goals and one behind in the second term to gain a significant break over the Eagles.

Dunolly tried hard in the third term, but were inaccurate in front of the big sticks as they could only manage to score one goal while Rovers kicked away with another five goals to put the game out of reach at three quarter
time.

To the Eagles credit, they never gave in and managed to have more of the ball in the final term, but the damage was done as Rovers held on to win by five goals at the final siren. Daniel Rossi has finished the season strongly for Rovers and was again in outstanding form in the Ruck for Rovers and the Guareschi brothers were again at the forefront of the attack with Karson providing a focal point to finish with five goals and Ryan was at every contest around the ground.

Scott Sellers and Graeme Kennedy were also prominent for Rovers. Tony Bellenger again led from the front for Dunolly as did Ash Grant, while Brad Schodde finished with four goals.

Rovers won 17.10.112 to 11.18.84

Lexton v Royal Park

Lexton were celebrating a fine performance from full forward Matt Brown to reach the magical 100 goal mark on Saturday evening after they put bottom of the table Royal Park to the sword to the tune of 291 points.

The Tigers were ruthless in the manner that they dealt their struggling opponents showing their appetite for success this finals series.

Brown booted 8 to move to the 100 goal mark and then sat the remainder of the game out, while Casey Robins (7 goals), Trent Brown (5 goals ) and Nic Locandro (5 goals) were others to join the goal parade.

Tigers Coach Shane Fisher has been pushing his players to play a strong brand of team orientated football and that was again evident in this match with 15 individual goal kickers.

There must be an air of excitement for Tigers fans given the sustained high quality level of football the team has produced since their Round one defeat under lights to fellow contender Carisbrook. The Tigers have taken all before them since that loss and are now a short priced favourite to take out the 2012 premiership.

Lexton 44.28.291 to Royal Park 0.1.1

Navarre v Newstead

Navarre must now be considered alongside Lexton and Carisbrook as legitimate Premiership contenders after they proved too accomplished for a disappointing Newstead outfit on Saturday.

The Grasshoppers controlled the contest and ran out 15.12.102 to 3.6.24 winners.

The relentless pressure that the Navarre side was able to provide to their Newstead opponents was notable as they dried up the Steaders scoring avenues.

Navarre who now sit firmly entrenched in the Bendigo Bank MCDFNL top four in third position were quite often able to move the ball with precision. It was the talented Kris Brennan who is having a booming season that impacted in attack with a seven goal haul that split the game open.

Other dominant forces in what was a great team orientated performance were Bryce Tickner, Rhett Murphy and Brian Lovison who were all high possession winners. Josh Rathgeber chipped in with two majors and showed he will also be a valuable acquisition come finals time when the Grasshoppers attempt to go one better on last Season’s Runner-Up finish.

Newstead are a formidable line up on their day although they do suffer from some inconsistency and yesterday’s was definitely one of those occasions.

They were unable to create any momentum to get themselves into the contest to really threaten the focussed Navarre combination. Joe Park was impressive, while the experience of Matt Culvenor and Mark Ramsey was on
show when the Steaders were at their most competitive.

They will need to re-group quickly on the eve of the finals if they are to make a serious tilt at claiming their first MCDFNL Premiership since 2009.

Talbot v Avoca

Avoca scored a hard fought 13 point victory over Talbot in Round 15 of MCDFNL action that ensures that they will make a return to the finals action this season.

It was a real battle of a contest with just 14 goals produced between the two teams and plenty of contested scrappy play throughout the course of the afternoon.

On a positive note Adrian Pilgrim and his men found a way to win despite kicking just two goals for the opening three quarters of the match and trailing by seventeen points at the last change.

The strong play of Beau Ketchen, Alex Wiltshire and skipper Lachlan Edwards who will be amongst the front runners for the Club best & fairest award were prominent.

For Talbot it was a disappointing end result after working in a position of power following three quarters. Rowan Prentice was a four quarter contributor while Trent Barass often looked dangerous in attack and kicked

two goals while Stephen Larkin was a work horse in a game that involved plenty of stoppages.

In conclusion the Bulldogs will be there in the finals action although they will need to find a gear if they are to step up and win a final.

Avoca 8.10.58 to Talbot 6.9.45

Maldon v Trentham Sunday

A thrilling encounter was played at the Bill Woodfull Reserve at Maldon on Sunday when the Bombers hosted the Trentham Saints in a battle for 4th spot on the ladder.

It was a physical match with either team not taking a backward step and with Tom Cain in great form for the Bombers, it was the champion midfielder who kicked the opening goal of the game after surging forward to mark across the 40 metre line.

Charles Hunter was playing well across half back for Trentham and Nathan Montague was a focal point up forward for the Saints. Trentham’s first two goals to Montague and to Dion Lawson came from fifty metre penalties

David Carroll was also proving to be at his illusive best and answered these goals with two of his own within a minute. Maldon was on top early in the game led by Josh Pascoe in the Ruck and the dominance of Cain in the middle.

Trentham answered the challenge in the second quarter and was helped when Brendan Shepherd left the field after coming off second best in a collision with Hayden Templeton. While Shepherd was off the field, Trentham kicked three goals in a row to take the lead as Cameron Baker and Dion Lawson were getting on top for the Saints and Nathan Montague was proving to be too quick for Luke Davey as the livewire kicked his third goal midway through the second term. It was goal for goal for the remainder of the term with Maldon finishing the better to lead by eight points at half time.

An all in melee erupted right on the half time siren when Chris Milham laid a very strong tackle on Ben Doyle right on the boundary line in front of the pavilion and players rushed from all areas of the ground . Doyle
received a free kick after the siren for Milham’s indiscretion, but Luke Davey managed to stop the ball in the goal square.

Maldon gained the upper hand in the third term with seven goals to three. The Bombers momentum was helped when Charles Hunter was ordered from the field for a clash with David Carroll and the burly forward took full advantage by slotting a goal from the boundary in the scoreboard pocket, and followed with another shortly after.

Brendan Shepherd provided a focal point up forward after half time and Lachlan Brown used his experience at ground level to send the ball forward on a number of occasions.

Kel Chaffey-Jones was keeping Corey Lawson quite throughout the game, but Lawson’s brother Dion, was talking up the slack and along Cameron Baker were both very good in their attack on the ball.

With Maldon leading by forty points at three quarter time, it seemed to be game over, but Trentham came out firing in the final term, kicking five goals in a row to reduce the margin to ten points at the twelve minute mark.
Ty Priest broke the shackles to kick three of the goals, while Justin Palmer and Dion Lawson kicked the other two.

Maldon answered quickly through Leigh Harrison, but Ty Priest and Justin Palmer linked up again through handball to allow Palmer to kick his second goal in five minutes. Charles Hunter then atoned for his earlier
indiscretion when he levelled the score at the seventeen minute mark with a shot from the boundary in the scoreboard pocket.

Maldon withstood the challenge and It was at this point that the Bomber’s running players in Kyle Winstanley and Shaun Burchell took control of the game, and the home team finished strongly in the dying moments of the game, with the final four goals to run out winners by twenty two points.

Maldon 20.13.133 to Trentham 16.15.111

Campbells Creek v Harcourt Sunday

It was Blue Ribbon Day on Sunday at Campbells Creek and an exciting come from behind win was the result of the Castlemaine Derby, where Harcourt was seeking revenge for their loss against the Magpies earlier in the season, but could not hold off the fast finishing Creekers who eventually won the game by three points.

It was open running football which provided a goal fest in the opening term with Creek kicking seven goals to Harcourt’s five goals, but both teams tightened up for the remainder of the game with goal scoring drying up and both teams could only manage a goal apiece in the second term and at half time the Magpies held a slight advantage of only nine points.

The Lions lifted their intensity after the half time break with Brendan Turtle, Matt Jackson and Daniel Smith leading by example as Harcourt turned a nine point deficit into a seven point lead going into the final quarter.

With the game in the balance, the Creek boys dug deep and managed to hit the front midway through the final term, and then had to resist a spirited fightback by the Lions who goaled on the siren, but fell three points short of victory.

Gary Bradford was again inspiring in the ruck, while Mitch Gilboy continued his consistent form around the ground and Chris Stone had his kicking shoes on finishing with six goals for the winners.

Campbells Creek won 13.7.85 to 12.10.82