The gauntlet was thrown down, and the challenge was met – the Rovers are still the ones to beat. It was a highly-anticipated match between ladder-leading Rovers and third-placed Myrtleford Saints, who had put together some stunning matches and looked to show the league their premiership credentials. Ultimately it would be the Hawks standing tall, avenging their earlier season loss to the Saints with a 10.10 (70) to 7.6 (48) triumph. Periodic showers in the lead-up and early stages of the game made for a slick contest early, but the Rovers were the cleaner of the two outfits through the first term. A run of goals from the Rovers saw them take a 30-point lead into half-time, and their strangling pressure and run off half back made it hard for the Saints to generate many meaningful looks inside their forward 50. The Rovers were ahead by 39 points at the final change of end, and may have taken the foot off the throat, because the Saints produced a stunning final term, booting four goals to one to bring the final margin to 22 points. Rovers football operations manager Barry Sullivan said there was a concerted plan to stifle the Saints’ in the opening term, where the tricolours usually thrive. “It was always going to be an interesting contest, given Myrtleford have had such a great run over the last couple of months,” he said. “We knew they were really good at the start, so we put a bit of emphasis on how we can make sure they don’t get away on us too quickly. “I thought we put in a really good effort in the first quarter, and continued that on for the next two quarters. “They handle wet conditions very well – when we played them up at Myrtleford, it was probably some of the roughest conditions we’ve had this season, and they were still able to convert and really exert their influence in the first quarter. “When it rained, I thought it would help them more than us, but we were fortunate it didn’t, and I thought our pressure all over the ground was really good.” It was a day for the defenders, with Xavier Allison and many of the back six in the team’s best, while Charlie Thompson and Sam Murray were finding the ball at will. “I thought our whole back six were really good in that first half. Charles Ledger started off really well in the first quarter, took some telling marks,” Sullivan said. “With us playing the three talls down forward – Nathan Cooper and Tom Boyd there with Will Christie – having Keiren Parnell back there across half back with Charles and Jace McQuade back from his GWS experience, it really helped us set up well. “Will Nolan was good, everyone across the back six was good.” The Rovers are virtually assured of the minor premiership and ticket to the second week of finals, leading nearest competitor Lavington Panthers by a game and 9.52 per cent, a tough gap to bridge with one match left to play. While they’re in a very strong position, Sullivan said no one would be popping the champagne just yet. “A new season begins from here on in,” he said. “You want to be going into finals with good form, and we’re looking to have a win next weekend and continue that form and get through unscathed “I’m sure Lavington will do the best they can to maintain their form going into finals.” Elsewhere, after a month in the wilderness, Wangaratta returned with four points after knocking off Wodonga Raiders at Birallee Park. Winless for a month and with finals rapidly approaching, Wangaratta took the game on and emerged victorious, 14.14 (98) to 5.87 (38). Eager to put themselves in a strong position early, the ‘Pies tore into the opening quarter at both ends of the ground, producing 10 scoring shots to two to open a 33-point lead at quarter time. While the second term was more tempered, momentum was still going the way of the ‘Pies, who had stretched the margin to 47 points by the half off the back of some truly iron-clad defence. Raiders would find some form in the third, narrowly winning the term, but a domination in the fourth would put the final nail in the coffin. Young gun Blake Newton would be a crushing force up forward for the ‘Pies, finishing with four goals, while Jackson Clarke and Xavier Laverty chipped in multiple majors. Midfielder Alex Federico continued his run of form, named best on ground, while Waitai Tua, Tyler Norton and Daniel Sharrock impressed. The victory all but qualifies the Magpies for the finals, sitting in fifth on the ladder with a game and some 15 percentage points ahead of Wodonga with one game left.
