Picture: J.L. “FRED” SMITH
MOUNT BURR 17.15 (117) d PORT MACDONNELL 12.9 (81)
MOUNT Burr worked hard to secure the premiership points when it hosted an undermanned Port MacDonnell at “Mick” and Jean Walker Oval.
After an even first half when it was goal-for-goal, the Mozzies eventually broke clear and won by the equivalent of six goals.
Without downplaying the efforts of Mount Burr, the result would have been much closer if four of Port MacDonnell’s best players had been able to take to the field.
Among the enforced onlookers were Zack Williams, Daron McElroy, Jake Turner and Matt Roscow.
Williams is currently the longest-serving skipper in the MSEFL, McElroy is the reigning Mail Medallist, Turner won the club goal kicking trophy in 2018 with 58 majors and Roscow is arguably the team’s best defender and has represented the MSEFL.
To make up the 21, the Demons used both youngsters and veterans and they acquitted themselves well in the first half.
With Ned Wilke, past coach Ben McGregor and the in-form Mark Smith winning plenty of the ball, Port MacDonnell was just two points behind at the first change and 12 at the long break.
After half-time, the Mount Burr playmakers like Josh Fiebig, Dylan Ridley and 100-gamer and coach Tom Renzi broke the shackles.
They set up many scoring opportunities for the likes of skipper Jack Gregory who finished with a game high tally of seven goals.
At the other end of the oval, the seasiders struggled to score and booted just two goals in the third term and just one in the last.
The Mozzies were strengthened by the inclusion of Cory Gamble but lost utility player Jake Dowdy to injury midway through the match to a leg injury.
His absence forced defender Sam Wallis to go into the ruck and provide support for Nick Morrison.
Among their opponents in the ruck was one-time team mate Jacob Gregory who switched clubs over summer.
The victors fielded five teenagers including Bailey Poulish whose game was highly rated by the Mozzie hierarchy.
Mount Burr travels to Hatherleigh in round five while Port MacDonnell hosts Kalangadoo.
GLENCOE 30.13 (193) d TANTANOOLA 6.4 (40)
GLENCOE retained the Neil Von Duve Memorial Shield with a decisive 153-point victory at Tantanoola.
It was not the only silverware to leave Tigerland as star recruit Brodie Foster claimed the Neil Von Duve Memorial Medal as best-on-ground.
Both trophies honour the memory of the late Tantanoola and Glencoe player and respected MSEFL umpire.
Foster booted a game-high nine goals to take his season’s return from four games to 30.
The former South Gambier and Penola star player is now 11 goals clear at the top of the MSEFL goal kickers with Hatherleigh’s Sam Telfer in second place.
His signing by the Murphies was announced by the club on grand final day in 2018 and its significance to the morale of the senior side is now understandable given his outstanding talent and form.
The visitors stamped their authority on the match in the opening stanza when they won the toss and kicked to the eastern end.
The breeze was worth a few goals but Glencoe slammed on 9.4 to just one behind to put the game out of the reach of the home team.
The scoring imbalance continued in the second term and the difference blew out to 95 points by the long break.
The Tigers stemmed the flow of goals somewhat in the second half, but the Murphies were still able to bank a large amount of percentage.
It soared from 67.41pc to 71.58pc.
Glencoe had many contributors to its success including former Tantanoola player Adam Gregory who threaded through six goals.
The Tigers were best served by three members of their on-ball division – Zac Walker, Braydn Reilly and Hayden Brown.
Glencoe forward Tory Weaver did not play on Saturday as he was unavailable to attend a tribunal hearing arising from an umpire’s report lodged after the round three match against Kalangadoo.
This is now expected to be heard this week with Weaver’s advocate being dual premiership coach and past Glencoe president Graeme Gosden.
Hatherleigh 25, 27 (177) d Nangwarry 1.5 (11)
THE Hatherleigh Football Club did not just secure a percentage boost and top spot on the ladder from its 166-point win at Nangwarry on Saturday, it also added true meaning to the “family league” ethos.
Given the margin between the two clubs a year ago was a whopping 299points, it would have been understandable if Hatherleigh supporters had opted to stay home.
They would have passed up seeing a one-sided contest and avoided a 140km round trip which is their second-longest journey of each season.
Nevertheless, the supporters of the blue and the gold turned up in droves to see the game.
Their presence may have been due to the probable arson attack in January which destroyed the licensed clubrooms of the Nangwarry Football Club.
Nangwarry treasurer Kevin Dinnison said the large crowd earned his club the second-highest gatetakings ever.
“The support from the Hatherleigh Football Club was outstanding,” Dinnison said.
“We sold $800 worth of raffle tickets alone and some cars at the gate was buying ten at a time.
“The Hatherleigh ladies brought over cakes and soup for us to sell at our canteen.
“There were also many Hatherleigh supporters who came in after the game to our temporary licensed rooms in the hall next to the swimming pool.
“We might be enemies on the footy field but that all stops when the final siren goes.”
Dinnison said his side was still showing improvement on 2018 but found it difficult to score.
He said ace forward Tyson Ploenges was yet to play a game this season on account of injury.
According to Dinnison, the Saints had done enough work in the mid-field to be rewarded with a return of five or six goals but the scoreboard only showed one.
Among the better performers for the victors were Matt Fabris and Sam Telfer (eight goals).
Another highlight of the day was the 400th game by field umpire Neil Webber.
After playing underage and some senior football at Tantanoola, Webber made the successful switch to umpiring more than 25 years ago.
He has numerous grand finals and representative games to his credit and has served as the MSEFL umpires director since 2012.
It was also a memorable day for Hatherleigh defender Mitch Pulmer as he played his 50th game.
Nangwarry has the bye in round five while Hatherleigh hosts Mount Burr.
Kalangadoo 21.13 (139) d Kongorong 12.6 (78)
THERE were plenty of reasons for the Kalangadoo Magpies to celebrate their 51-point home ground win over the Kongorong Hawks.
It was achieved without three first-choice players on account of injury and was the perfect way for Dallas Jeffree and Andrew Stone to mark their 100th games in the vertical stripes.
Jeffree had a successful background in basketball with the Mount Gambier Pioneers while Stone’s early football career had been at North Gambier.
The Magpies had received a tonic after their Thursday night training session when member for Barker Tony Pasin called at the licensed club ad announced a $266,000 Federal Government grant for new changerooms and other facilities for females.
The visitors must have rated their chances of success were good given that injured Kalangadoo players of the calibre of Jonny Mules, Sam McManus and Mitch Lowe were on the sidelines.
However, coach Chris Mules was able to take his place again in the starting 18 as his broken finger had healed while Matt Fatchen was also in the lineup.
Fatchen had rolled an ankle in the previous round at Glencoe and only spent five minutes on the oval.
Kongorong began well and matched Kalangadoo for much of the first term.
However, the Magpies converted a five-point quarter-time lead into a 32-point advantage at the long break.
The visitors narrowed the margin in the third term and were still in the game at the last change when the deficit was back to 21 points.
The home side withstood this challenge and kicked away in the final stanza to achieve a sizeable percentage boost.
Former coach Ben Mules continued his good form for the victors with a haul of six goals as well as a best-on-ground ranking.
With the enforced absence of Jonny Mules, Liam Hay has been promoted to the key rucking role and handled the extra responsibility with aplomb.
Skipper Brad Auld was his usual busy contributor while Tyler Jones had his best game since returning at the beginning of 2019 with five goals.
Over in the Kongorong camp, they were best served by Marty Von Stanke, Robert Hein, the two Cordy brothers and veteran forward John Simkin (six goals).
Kongorong hosts winless Tantanoola on Saturday while Kalangadoo makes the long journey to the Bay to play Port MacDonnell in round five.
The Mid South East footballers and netballers will turn “pink and blue” on Saturday and raise funds for local Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness Support Groups.
