PORT MacDonnell kept its place in the Mid South East Football League’s top four with a 31 point win in a high-scoring match at Glencoe.
After scores were locked away at quarter time, the visitors kicked away in the second term and held sway thereafter.
A key part in the win by the visitors was the dominance of two key talls in Daron McElroy and Will Macdonald.
With a game high tally of seven goals, McElroy was given the accolade of best-on-ground.
The pair is critical to the chances of the seasiders reaching and indeed succeeding in the major round.
Plenty of pundits are saying the 2017 MSEFL premiership race is now just a three-way contest between reigning premiers Mount Burr, ladder leaders Kalangadoo and Hatherleigh.
The Demons were certainly “party poopers” as the Murphies hosted their annual premiership reunion day.
The club held a special reception to honour past grand final winners dating back to the 1950s with ex-players travelling as far as Queensland and Western Australia to be present.
Among the long-distance travellers was Peter Ey who coached the club for six seasons including the 1967 premiership 50 years ago.
Ey is a MSEFL life member, past president, player and coach of Tantanoola, Kalangadoo and Glencoe, Mail Medallist, leading league goalkicker on four occasions, interleague representative and former host of the Radio 5SE Thursday night football show.
The Demons should get a percentage booster in Round 15 when they host bottom-placed Nangwarry while Glencoe plays its neighbours at Kongorong.
Robe 19.8 (122) d Kongorong 13.8 (86)
THE pain continued for Kongorong at the seaside with Robe inflicting its sixth consecutive defeat.
The loss has heightened the odds of it ending the 2017 season after the final minor round match on August 19.
It took more than a half of football for the Roosters to assert their dominance on the contest.
The Hawks were behind by just two points at quarter time after both sides booted four goals to begin the game.
The visitors led by seven points at the long break and then the home team held a 10 point advantage at the final change.
Robe stormed home to kick 7.4 to 3.2 to win by 36 points.
It was quite a reversal on their first meeting in 2017 which Kongorong had won by 46 points.
The victors were again inspired by another best-on-ground effort by Glenelg recruit Craig Pitt who finished with a game high tally of eight goals.
From his base in Adelaide, he has played every game in 2017.
He has booted 45 goals in his 13 appearances and been listed in the best players on 10 occasions.
For Kongorong, coach Bronson Saffin was named as the best player.
The result means the Roosters are still an outside chance of making the finals but the run home is tough.
It will have to rely on other clubs losing games as well as success against Hatherleigh (away), Mount Burr (home) and Tantanoola (away).
The match against the Tigers at Tigerland on August 12 is its last scheduled game for 2017 as it has the bye in round 18.
There is not much in reserve for the Roosters as the B Grade failed to score on Saturday and was hammered by over 100 points.
Kongorong could still reach the major round but it will have to win at home over Glencoe on Saturday and defeat teams above it on the ladder.
Kalangadoo 23.25 (163) d Nangwarry 4.3 (27)
KALANGADOO took another step towards cementing a place in the double chance second semi final with an impressive 136 point win at Nangwarry.
The magnitude of the win was not a surprise as it was a case of top playing bottom and the size of the victory lifted the percentage of the Magpies from 65.49 to 67.06.
Nevertheless, there is definite improvement by the Saints as the losing margin was around half of the result at Kalangadoo on May 6 when the difference was a massive 241 points.
In many games played by Nangwarry, the result was known by quarter time but this was not the case on Saturday.
The visitors took a comparatively modest advantage of 22 points into the first break.
After quarter time, Kalangadoo took a stranglehold on the game and added 10.5 to just one goal.
Nangwarry players responded in the best possible way in the third term to add 2.1 while conceding just 3.6.
Kalangadoo ran the game out well with Michael Krieger and Scott Agnew providing the targets in attack with five goals apiece.
The win means Ben Mules has coached the team into the major round in every season he has been at the helm since returning from a decorated career with SANFL zone team Glenelg.
Under his leadership, Kalangadoo has finished top (2014),third (2015) and runners-up (2016).
With just four rounds left to play, it will take a surprising turn of events for the black-and-whites to be relegated to a cutthroat first semi final contest.
Nangwarry travels to Port MacDonnell for Round 15 while Kalangadoo can freshen up for the finals with a bye.
Hatherleigh 23.16 (154) d Tantanoola 8.11 (59)
HATHERLEIGH returned to the winners’ list on Saturday with a 95 point win at Tantanoola.
After their skipper Gerard McGrath won the toss, the visitors had a poor start to the game.
They conceded the first goal and then lost key defender Todd Watson to a hamstring strain.
The Eagles recovered to take a 22 point lead into the first break which grew to almost nine goals at half-time.
Likewise after half time, the young Tigers team could not halt the speed and skill of their opponents who had many scoring options.
The probable mark-of-the-year was taken by Hatherleigh veteran Matt Faulkner on the wing in the third term.
Tiger utility player Tom Holmes had kicked the ball back into play after a behind had been scored.
He was aiming for Jordan Williams who had made a lead in front of the packed C. W. Haines Stand.
However, it was Faulkner who judged the flight of the ball perfectly.
Using Williams as a step-ladder, Faulkner hung in the air and completed a perfect overhead mark to much acclaim.
It was quite a feat by Faulkner who was the oldest player on the oval.
It was a rare blemish by Williams as he was named best for the Tigers.
The Eagles made their occupancy of second place a little more secure while the defeat has ended any slight hope of the Tigers making the finals.
It was the perfect way for Hatherleigh vice-captain and vice-president Josh Wight to mark his 150th game.
However, Tantanoola pair Josh McRostie and Zac Walker were disappointed in the result which coincided with their 100th A Grade games.
In the curtain-raiser, Tiger veteran Nathan Mark Bell played his 300th senior game while 55-year-old Ian Lines played his first.
Lines is an A and B Grade player and female team coach at Millicent United Soccer Club and playing a game of “Aussie Rules” with his home town club was on his “bucket list”.
Tantanoola’s trip to Mount Burr on Saturday coincides with the annual Heritage Day and club reunion day being staged by the Mozzies.
Hatherleigh returns home to meet Robe which remains a slight chance of making the finals.
The home side will welcome back Dylan Coxon who missed Saturday’s game on account of suspension.
