Springbank 11.8 (74) d Hepburn 9.12 (66)
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By Tim O'Connor
Hepburn has tumbled a game outside the Central Highlands Football League top eight after suffering a second-straight defeat on Saturday.
The Burras, which were missing star player Andy McKay, went down on their home turf by eight points to Springbank.
That leaves the side ninth and four points behind eight-placed Gordon.
While the defeat is a bitter blow for the reigning premiers, the victory is a big one for the GJ Gardner Tigers, which are now fifth and just a game behind top sides Newlyn and Waubra.
Springbank coach Troy Beamond was thrilled with the weekend’s success, particularly given it was on the Burras’ home ground.
Beamond said his side booted more than four goals clear in the last quarter before the hosts kicked some late consolation majors to get within eight points at the final siren.
Justin Simpson finished the afternoon with five goals to be a standout in attack for the Tigers, while Joel Maher won plenty of the ball in the engine room. Big man Paul O’Shea pulled in plenty of marks up forward and kicked two goals, while veteran backman Simon Quinlan was good in his first game of the year.
For Hepburn, Jordan Grant, Tom Godsell and Zac Hansford were the standouts, while Tallan Wright and Ken Cummings managed two majors each.
There is no rest for the Tigers, which have big battles against Newlyn and Waubra to come in the next two weeks.
For Hepburn, which has now lost two games in succession, a clash with the Roos is on the cards next weekend before a trip to Rokewood to take on the Grasshoppers in round 11.
Bungaree 15.17 (107) d Clunes 4.7 (31)
By Tim O'Connor
Bungaree made it five wins in succession with a comfortable success against Clunes on Saturday.
The Demons climbed to sixth on the ladder following the 76-point triumph on the Magpies’ home turf.
Dalton Murphy kicked a game-high four goals for the winners, while onballers Joel Mahar and Matthew Sheridan were among the Demons’ most influential. Defenders Jack Oostendorp and Christopher Robertson were others to perform well for Bungaree.
For the winless Clunes, Ryan Thompson booted two majors, while Luke Davidson and Jordan Thomas were best.
Next weekend, the Demons have the bye, while the Magpies come up against Gordon.
Buninyong 13.10 (88) d Creswick 2.8 (20)
By Tim O'Connor
Buninyong lost influential big man Liam Rigby to an ankle injury during Saturday’s successful trip to Creswick.
Rigby, who was playing his first game back from a nagging groin issue, was the major concern out of the Bombers’ easy 68-point triumph.
Buninyong held Creswick goalless in the first half and allowed the home side just two majors for the entire afternoon in a powerful display.
Onballers Jacob Coxall and Sam Russell were in good form for the winners, Lachlan Baker played well in defence and Anthony Ebery was a presence in the ruck.
For Creswick, Patrick Taranto, Joel Berry and Matt Miller were rated standouts, while Joshua Mitchell and Ryan Pompe were the only players to find the goals.
Buninyong has climbed to third on the back of Saturday’s win, with Creswick 11th and now two games outside the finals bracket.
Next weekend, the Bombers have Carngham-Linton and the Wickers meet Ballan.
Gordon 16.13 (109) d Carngham-Linton 8.7 (55)
By Tim O'Connor
Gordon ensured it wasn’t a pleasant homecoming for Carngham-Linton on Saturday, winning the Saints’ first game at Snake Valley for the year by 59 points.
The Eagles kicked 12 goals to four in the first half to set up the win, with Adam Toohey the most prolific with four. Ethan Crackel returned to the Gordon team on Saturday and booted three majors to be named its best, while Ross Waters managed three for the Saints, which were led by Jacob Dawson.
Skipton 6.11 (47) d Ballan 6.5 (41)
By Tim O'Connor
Winless throughout all of 2017, Skipton now has three victories at the half-way point of the 2018 season.
The Emus beat Ballan by six points on Saturday, with Joshua Draffin, Michael Young, Mark Hoare and Andrew Pitson leading the way.
For Ballan, Sam Sher continued his great campaign with a best afield performance in the midfield, while Darren Tanti, Jake Wilkie and Sam Hitchings also played well for the visitors.
Newlyn 13.7 (85) d Learmonth 9.4 (58)
By Tim O'Connor
Newlyn’s top-end talent quickly cracked open Saturday’s contest against Learmonth and settled the result with a damaging first half.
Stars Adam Sewell, Myles Sewell, Steve Clifton and Dan Wehrung had a hand in most of the Cats’ successful attacks in a two-quarter blitz that had the visitors up by 50 points at the main break.
From there, the battle turned into a dour struggle as the wet and chilly conditions took over.
The Lakies did trim the final margin to a respectable 27 points, but the home side was never in with a sniff of success.
Wehrung, who is Newlyn’s joint-coach, said it was good to start well after an extended break due to the Smythesdale bye and Queen’s birthday long weekend.
“It still probably took us five or 10 (minutes) to get going, but once we clicked that next quarter and a half was excellent,” Wehrung said.
The debut of mid-season recruit Michael Bowden will have been pleasing for Newlyn faithful, with the Northern Territory import bobbing up for three goals during the Cats’ first half blitz.
And while backman Wes Carter and forward Declan Lourey (two goals) also played well, it was certainly Adam Sewell that had the biggest influence on the game. Playing off half back, Sewell collected heaps of possession and set up many of the side’s attacks on goal.
Learmonth didn’t really have many winners on the day, but Anthony Zelencich was dangerous at times in attack and kicked three goals, while Jason Rae was named best for his efforts in the middle and off half back.
“We played three quarters of solid footy and again the second quarter let us down,” Learmonth coach Nick Willox said.
“A couple of their better players just took control through the middle and exposed us at times. We let them have too much space.
“In the second half we were able to set up defensively and control the play a lot better, but it was too late.”
Brodrick Campbell was the main injury concern for the Lakies after he hobbled off the field and into the rooms in the last quarter with a serious knee concern.
Newlyn has kept its place at the top of the Central Highlands Football League ladder with Saturday’s win, while Learmonth has slipped to seventh.
Dunnstown 15.10 (100) d Rokewood-Corindhap 6.6 (42)
By Tim O'Connor
Dunnstown bounced back to winning ways on Saturday, beating Rokewood-Corindhap by 58 points.
Home-grown talent such as Tim and Ben Collins and Mitch Henderson impressed coach Justin Abrams, Peter McGettigan kicked four goals and Sam Jenkins was named the side’s best.
The Grasshoppers, which trailed by close to eight goals at half time, were best served by Paul Wells and Tyler Mookhoek.
Waubra 7.6 (48) d Beaufort 7.4 (46)
By John McGregor
Waubra knuckled down and delivered an exciting two-point win against Beaufort on Saturday.
The Roos were chasing the Crows in the first half and were 17 points behind at the long break.
The third term started at a cracking pace.
Within minutes, James Lukich had goalled and Jonathon Neville then slotted a running major. The Waubra fans gave an almighty yell when Ben Wilson kicked a big roost from the 50 metre arc.
It was game-on with just three points the difference and the Crows under enormous pressure.
A rev-up from the Beaufort coach in the three quarter time huddle seemed to fire up the Crows.
Beaufort booted two huge majors, but Waubra swiftly brought the margin back to three points when Jackson Kinna and William Corbett scored.
Play was interrupted when Waubra’s Dean Robertson was helped from the ground with a knee injury.
Then play was halted for several minutes as Beaufort’s Damien Day was stretchered from the field with a leg injury.
It was a battle royale from that point onwards with bone-crunching tackles and sheer desperation driving both teams on.
The Crows scored a behind and looked like they had their second wind.
But Waubra’s Austin Murphy knocked that out of them with a goal minutes from the final siren.
Both teams had key players missing for this clash and unfortunately they have a few more to add to their injury lists.
A big loss for the Crows was Jarrod McCorkell with an arm issue and Scott Howard with a broken finger.
Waubra lost Travis Parsons early in the game.
For Waubra coach Matt James it was a sweet victory over a top side.
“It was good to get over the line. It was a game of two halves… in the first half we couldn’t get our hands on the footy, then in the second we had a bit of a run of momentum,” he said.
Beaufort coach Rohan Brown believed it was Waubra’s midfield in the second half that did the damage to the Crows’ fortunes.
“It was a tight contest all day. It was a grind. And they probably got on top of us through the midfield in the latter part of the game.”
Waubra now shares top spot on the Central Highlands Football League ladder with Newlyn, while Beaufort is part of a group of three teams one game behind the leading duo.
Next weekend, the Roos will take on Hepburn, while the Crows meet Rokewood-Corindhap.