MSEFL: Robe causes upset

IN CHARGE: Kalangadoo defender Dallas Jeffree directed the play against Port MacDonnell at Kalangadoo on Saturday.
IN CHARGE: Kalangadoo defender Dallas Jeffree directed the play against Port MacDonnell at Kalangadoo on Saturday.

KALANGADOO’S hold on the minor premiership has strengthened while Port MacDonnell’s occupancy of fourth sport is still shaky after the Magpies defeated the Demons by 84 points at home.

Coming into the match, there was a slight possibility that the Magpies could have been relegated to a cut-throat first semi final berth.

However, that remote chance was ended by quarter time as the home side piled on 10.3 and conceded just 1.1.

Although the imbalance of the scores was less apparent in the following three terms, the Demons were still outscored in every stanza.

It was worst possible time for the seasiders to face the ladder leaders as they were without eight first-choice players on account of injury.

On the other hand, ruckman Tim Sullivan was able to play as he was not required to play with the Glenelg Reserves in the SANFL.

His team had a bye and this also allowed reigning Mail Medallist Jack Casey to pull on a black-and-white jumper again for the second time in 2017.

It was said that Kalangadoo had its strongest team for the season as such injury-stricken players as Lachy Jones, Brett Lindner, JonnyMules and Andrew Stone were all in the lineup.

The victors could be well pleased with their tally of 20 goals on a heavy oval and they were shared around 11 players.

On the other hand, the chances of the Demons now winning the 2017 flag are now well into the double figures.

Port MacDonnell has the bye in round 17 while Kalangadoo heads to Kongorong

Robe 5.7 (37) d Mount Burr 4.11 (35)

IN the upset of the 2017 season, a spirited Robe has held off reigning premiers Mount Burr to win at home by a mere two points in Saturday’s Mid South East Football League Round 16 clash.

With a top two finish still a possibility, Mount Burr had travelled to Robe with the aim of coming away with the premiership points, confidence and a percentage boost.

None of those things occurred as the seasiders led throughout.

The Roosters played a superior brand of wet-weather football to upset a side considered by many to be the premiership favourite.

The Mozzies had looked to be in formidable form as they approached the finals and the team had the bonus of having its first choice list available each week.

On the other hand, the Roosters were showing signs of tiring as all realistic hopes of a finals berth evaporated a few weeks ago.

When the team managers swapped lists, Mount Burr had 20 A Grade premiership players on its list while Robe had five senior colts and four B Graders.

It was a howling gale and pouring rain for much of the game but Robe got three vital goals in the opening term when the ball was dry,

With Riley Dickerson out-pointing Henry Crauford in the ruck and a tag successfully applied to reappointed coach Tom Renzi, much of the Mount Burr engine room drive was negated.

The Mozzies tried to play dry weather football and got caught holding the ball, kicked it out on the full and registered behinds instead of goals.

It was the smallest number of goals kicked by a Mount Burr team in living memory and a rare occasion that it did not have a multiple goal scorer.

Instead of the customary six best players, the hierarchy of the Mozzies named just three.

The conditions were tailor-made for a player of the class of Robe coach Jack Kelly.

He was back to lead the side after being one of the star players for the SA Country team which played at Fremantle against WA Country the previous weekend.

Kelly is arguably the most travelled MSEFL footballer in 2017 as his representative duties began with the MSEFL team in June at the South East zone carnival at Mount Gambier.

They continued with the Murray South East zone team at the SA Country Championships in Murray Bridge in July and now the interstate honours.

The Roosters may have had the home ground advantage but star Glenelg recruit Craig Pitt missed his second consecutive match after being injured in a mishap in his home city of Adelaide.

As it has the bye in round 18, Robe will complete its 2017 season at Tantanoola.

Mount Burr returns home to “Mick” and Jean Walker Oval to host Glencoe.

The prestigious Ian McInnes Memorial Trophy will be contested.

Hatherleigh 19.8 (122) d Glencoe 7.11 (53)

Hatherleigh’s strong run to the Mid South East Football League finals continued at Glencoe on Saturday with a hard-fought 69-point win.

The Eagles started brilliantly to add 6.3 to just 1.5 and took a 28 point lead into quarter time.

The Murphies were also no match for their opponents in the following two terms either and the deficit blew out to 67 points at the last change.

Glencoe finally matched Hatherleigh in the last quarter but was still narrowly out-scored.

With the conditions deteriorating, each side booted just two goals in the wet.

For the second week in a row, Hatherleigh forwards showed they could master the heavy conditions with Brad Wight being the pick with eight goals.

His side is nearing full strength, with defender Todd Watson recovered from injury and Jack Skeer returned from an overseas holiday.

Skeer showed he had not lost his appetite for football as he finished with three goals and a ranking high in the best players.

It was not the ideal result for Glencoe’s Dylan Childs who was playing his 100th game.

The Murphies cannot wait until the end of the season as a heavy workload is being carried by a small number.

In Round 17, Glencoe heads along the Overland Track to Mount Burr while Hatherleigh hosts the winless Nangwarry side.

OUTNUMBERED: Nangwarry’s Jesse McPhail was challenged by three Kongorong opponents at Nangwarry on Saturday. Picture: J.L. (“FRED”) SMITH

Kongorong 28.27 (195) d Nangwarry 1.0 (6)

Kongorong’s winning form continued with an impressive 189-point win over the Mid South East Football League’s winless bottom team at Nangwarry.

The Round 16 victory kept alive the slim hopes of the Hawks making the finals for the first time in several seasons.

If it can win its final two games against Kalangadoo and Port MacDonnell, it will definitely play in the finals.

A victory at Nangwarry has been highly probable given the records set when the two sides had met at Kongorong on May 20 when the margin was a whopping 331 points and set club and league records.

The Saints put a much stronger team on its own oval in this return match and the wintry conditions were not conducive to scoring after quarter time.

The visitors moved the ball quickly in the opening term while skill errors hampered the efforts of the home team.

The Hawks started with 7.5 while the Saints replied with a goal to Rory Widdison-Mills.

This proved to be the team’s only score for the day as their opponents steadily applied the scoreboard pressure.

Ex-skipper Brad Cordy was prominent in attack with seven goals and 14 of his team mates also made this list.

They hope to be back on the Nangwarry Oval for the MSEFL grand final on September 16.

The last Kongorong premiership was achieved at this venue in 1988.

First-year Nangwarry non-playing coach David Stratman has not been deterred by the poor scoreboard results this season and has accepted reappointment for 2018.

Another notable off-field matter at the Nangwarry Oval on Saturday was an audit of the oval and its changerooms by Mid South East Football League executives.

All ovals listed to host finals are being scrutinised with the Nangwarry Oval scheduled to host the grand final on September 16.

Looking to Round 17, Kongorong hosts ladder leaders Kalangadoo and it would want to avoid the events of May 27 when it was pummelled to the tune of 77 points.

Nangwarry is on the road to Hatherleigh.