EAST Gambier returned to the winners list in Western Border football on Saturday with an emphatic 59-point victory over Millicent at McLaughlin Park on Saturday.
It took the Bulldogs three quarters to shake off the persistent Saints with only three straight kicks separating the teams at the last change, but from then on it was all over within five minutes as the visitors booted three quick goals to gain an advantage.
Both sides entered the match with a number of long term injuries.
Dylan Tincknell was a late withdrawal for the Saints, resulting in Under 17 Noah Lang making his senior debut, while Brad Rathjen made his first senior appearance for the Bulldogs.
Millicent had the advantage of a slight breeze in the first quarter.
The visitors opened proceeding in the opening few minutes with the first goal of the match coming from their leading goal-kicker Kevin Thomson scoring from a boundary shot.
However, the Saints quickly gained the initiative with key forward Dylan Bromley making his presence felt with three unanswered goals.
Bromley’s majors were the only scores for the term for the home side as they led 3.2 to 1.0 at the first change.
The Bulldogs showed their best form early in the second as they added five quick goals through the agency of Jack Dawe, Matt Scanlon, Kevin Thomson, Matt Dempsey and Jesse Fry.
The home side failed to enter their forward 50 in the first 15 minutes, but a reward did come their way well into the term when Bromley was awarded a free down the ground and he scored his fourth goal from a boundary shot.
A number of scuffles occurred as players became frustrated.
One such incident late in the term resulted in East’s Tully Balshaw being yellow carded.
The Saints were still within reach of the lead at the long break with East leading 7.2 to 4.3.
Goals were hard to come by in the third term with the backlines coming into their own.
Nathan Forrest and Rathjen made vital turnovers for the Dogs while Steve Duldig, Brady Gibbs and James Weir stood out for the home side.
Both sides only scored a goal each in the quarter – these coming from East’s Dawe and Millicent’s Mitch Reilly.
The East onballers took over in the final quarter, winning the ball from the centre bounces and around the ground.
This resulted in their forwards booting eight goals to the opposition’s two.
They were led by Kevin Thomson who booted three (five for the match) and Matt Scanlon two.
The 16.14 to 7.9 win enabled East take a firm grip on second place on the ladder and to be within one point of arch rival North Gambier, which went down to big improvers, Casterton-Sandford, on the weekend.
With two rounds to go, the Bulldogs meet bottom sides – South and West – and look set to finish the minor round with wins.
On the other hand Millicent has hard games ahead against top of the ladder, North, and face a trip to Casterton.
Even if it fails to win these clashes it should still hold onto fourth spot.
Saturday was also a big day for a number of Millicent players as Nat Robbins played his 300th game for the Saints, John Facey reached 100 reserves games, Hamish Nitschke 50 senior games and Cooper Hutchesson 50.
The club also celebrated the 15th anniversary of their reserves’ premiership.
