BEARS Lagoon-Serpentine ensured there was no let-down after its big win over Bridgewater in round one, backing it up with a 63-point belting of Marong on Saturday.
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Last year’s winless wooden-spooners have now started the Loddon Valley season 2-0, with both wins having come against sides that made the 2016 finals.
The Bears led the Panthers at every change on the way to a 17.20 (122) to 9.5 (59) victory at Discover Marong Oval in what was a rare blowout between two sides that have made a habit in recent years of playing tight games against each other.
“It was a bit scrappier of a game today… the rain didn’t help in the second half, but we were pleased to get away with the win,” Bears coach Greg Gadsden said.
“There’s always a danger after coming off such a good win the previous week that players can get caught up in the high and forget to focus on the next week, but they did a good job today.
“Full credit to Marong, they took it up to us for the first half and into the third quarter, but the boys knuckled down and got the job done.”
The Bears led by 15 points at half-time and then added 11 goals to four after the main break while keeping the Panthers under constant pressure.
“A big focus of ours this year is our contested ball, keeping pressure on the ball-carrier and creating turnovers where we can. The boys have been working hard on that and it’s paying off at the moment,” Gadsden said.
Harry Gadsden and James Rippingale each kicked four goals for the Bears, whose best were Zac Stone with his rebound off half-back, Charlie Gadsden, who provided plenty of grunt, and Nick Arthur.
The 63-point defeat was the Panthers’ first game of the season after they had the bye in round one.
Two of the Panthers’ recruits in Jarrod Fitzpatrick and Ricky Dudley were their two best, while another new player, key forward Matt Gilmore, kicked two goals.
• Bridgewater coach Marc Lindsay got the response he was after from his players to the round one loss to the Bears as the reigning premiers hit back with a 45-point win over Pyramid Hill.
The Mean Machine held the Bulldogs scoreless in the first quarter on the way to a 14.17 (101) to 9.2 (56) victory at Mitchell Park.
“We had 22 contributors today. We had spoken all week about how we needed to lift and put it into action today and I was happy with the response over four quarters,” Lindsay said.
“It was everything that last week wasn’t in terms of the way we went about the game with our desperation and we played a bit more smarter, but it was just pleasing to see that all the boys were really up for it today.”
The Mean Machine’s two best players were defenders Xavier Henderson, who played on Joe McGrath (two goals), and Tristin Nalder, who had the job on Andrew Dobby.
Fresh off assistant coaching duties with the Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday morning, Rick Ladson was a late inclusion into the Bridgewater side after Tom Kuhne (gastro) was a withdrawal.
Ladson kicked four goals.
“Rick did a terrific job for us. He was a bit sore from last week, but made himself available and played a great role for us,” Lindsay said.
While the Mean Machine squared their ledger at 1-1, Pyramid Hill is now 0-2 for the first time since 2003.
The Bulldogs had better players in Ross James (three goals), Michael Dundon and co-coach Gavin James (two goals).
• Last year’s other grand finalist that suffered a round one loss, Mitiamo, also hit back with a commanding 61-point triumph over Newbridge.
The Superoos only allowed the Maroons one goal over the first three quarters before finishing 13.11 (89) to 4.4 (28) victors at home.
“The most pleasing thing today was we played well for four quarters. Last year we tended to put the cue in the rack once we were seven or eight goals up, but we kept grinding away and putting pressure on,” Mitiamo coach Justin Maddern said.
The Superoos’ best players were led by onballers in Jarryd Wiegard, Aaron McKean (two goals) and Terry Reeves, while recruit Luke Scott, who has arrived in the competition with big wraps, played well on the wing.
Maddern kicked three goals, but didn’t play after half-time because of an upper leg injury.
Newbridge’s four goals came through two each from coach Matt Dillon and Sam Kennedy. Brad Comer and Ryan Burt were named the two best for the Maroons.
• For the 30th-straight time Calivil United defeated Inglewood, keeping intact a winning run that began in 2003.
The Demons finished strongly with a nine-goal to one final quarter to win by 77 points, 22.14 (146) to 10.9 (69), and grab top spot at Inglewood’s Empire State Hotel Oval.
“Nothing came to us easy today and we really had to grit it out. There’s still a lot of improvement, but it was good to run it out the way we did and finish strongly in the last quarter,” Demons coach Anthony Dennis said.
Among the best for the Demons was Bryce Curnow (three goals), who took to the field for the first time since the passing earlier in the week of his father, Demons’ stalwart Owen Curnow.
“Bryce certainly would have done his dad proud the way he played today,” Dennis said.
Curnow was one of five players, along with Vincent Rodi (five), Ben Knight (three), Luke Marchesi (three) and Lachlan O’Neil (three), to kick at least three goals for the Demons, whose best was Nathan Ryan on a wing.
Inglewood was best served by Brandon Worner, co-coach Ryan McNish (three goals) and Ben Smith.