By Trevor Jackson
A GRADE – HATHERLEIGH 12.12 (84) d ROBE 11.12 (78)
IN a see-sawing contest which went right down to the wire, Hatherleigh progressed to the Mid South Eastern football preliminary final with an inspired A Grade victory over Robe.
The Eagles were up and about early in the contest, with a strong first term to claim a handy lead and put the pressure squarely back on the more-fancied Roosters.
However, Robe turned its fortunes around in the second quarter to bang on five major scores to two and go to the long break with a four-point advantage.
The momentum had changed and continued after the break as the Roosters appeared set to advance deeper into the post-season, pushing the margin out to 15 points and the final change.
But again the tide turned and Hatherleigh fought back hard.
With four major scores on the board to just one and with the siren imminent, the Eagles were up by a straight kick when a mark right in front of goals was botched by the Roosters.
A chance to go back and slot home a major was too inviting, and as a run-in goal beckoned and the Robe player played on, Hatherleigh’s defensive pressure exploded and a holding-the-ball decision was the outcome.
The Eagles then cleared the danger zone and held on for a well-deserved victory.
Jake Dowdy led the charge for the victors with three goals, while Jordan Galpin, Jack Skeer and Sam Telfer kicked two each.
For Robe, Billy Laurie and Riley Dickinson kicked three each.
Dowdy, Skeer and Will Chay were named in the best for Hatherleigh, while for Robe, Laurie, George Dutton and Jasper Barritt were best.
Joe Ferguson-Lane contributed one goal for the Eagles before claiming the league best and fairest medal the following day at the Millicent Civic and Arts Centre.
RESERVES – PORT MACDONNELL 17.12 (114) d KALANGADOO 9.2 (56)
While Kalangadoo has been all-conquering in the A Grade competition this season, it was not so in the Reserves, as the Magpies succumbed to an intense Port MacDonnell side.
The Demons held a 20-point lead at the first break and built it steadily from there.
By half time it had blown out to 45 points and remained the same at the final changed.
The final stanza saw both sides pepper the goals, with the Demons making the most of it to run out convincing victors.
Mason Brown kicked four goals for the victors, while Ben O’Dine, Fraser Lynch and Tarquin Newton kicked two each.
For the Magpies, Mitchell Varcoe kicked two.
SENIOR COLTS – TANTANOOLA 9.14 (68) d KONGORONG 8.8 (56)
A late flurry was not enough to push Kongorong’s Senior Colts into the preliminary final, as the Hawks went down to Tantanoola by 12 points.
That result came despite a four-goal-to-one final stanza to chase down a 32-point deficit.
The Hawks had trailed all game, but found something extra in the last quarter.
However, a five-goal haul from Ellis Cushion helped the Tigers across the line.
For Kongorong, Riley Maconachie and Thomas Bellinger kicked two goals each.
JUNIOR – COLTS ROBE 6.7 (43) d GLENCOE 5.4 (34)
Robe and Glencoe played out a classic game to kick off the Mid South East football post-season, with the Roosters claiming the honours by just nine points.
The first half played out in favour of the Roosters as they held a handy 11-point advantage at the long break.
However, Glencoe fought back in the third term to level the scores and set up an intriguing final term.
In the end the Roosters did enough to live to fight another day, with three final-quarter goals to Glencoe’s two.
Kaiden Carter and Angus McLaughlin kicked two goals each for the victors, as did Kaleb Price and Lachlan Brierley for Glencoe.
