READ MORE - Marong v Inglewood, round 10 | PHOTOS
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READ MORE - SATURDAY SCOREBOARD - June 15, 2019
JARRYD Wiegard kicked the match-winning goal for Mitiamo as the Superoos edged out Maiden Gully YCW by three points in a Loddon Valley league thriller on Saturday.
However, the 13.13 (91) to 13.10 (88) victory at Mitiamo came at a cost for the Superoos after co-coach and gun forward Tyrone Downie suffered a broken jaw.
"There was four in the contest all going for the footy and, unfortunately, Tigga has come off second best," Mitiamo co-coach Andy Grant said.
"He will have surgery on Monday and is probably looking at a month or so out."
Downie had kicked two goals before his game ended.
The Superoos led by 14 points at three quarter-time, but the Eagles fought back gallantly to take the lead in the final term, only for Mitiamo to snatch it back in the dying stages after Wiegard marked and goaled from 30m.
"YC played really well today and we were poor at times with our disposal," Grant said.
"I thought if we could come out in the last quarter and kick the first couple we'd be really able to break the game open and run away with it.
"But to YC's credit, they kept hanging in.
"They had all the momentum in the last quarter, so it was a credit to our blokes that they were able to stand up when they needed to and get the job done."
Mitiamo's best players were dominated by midfielders - Doug Thomas (three goals), Terry Reeves, Luke Scott and Aaron McKean.
"I thought YC's outside players were good for them and our inside players were good for us, so it was fairly contrasting game in that regard," Grant said.
Superoos key forward Justin Maddern kicked three goals, which included a contentious one in the third term out of a goalsquare scramble.
The victory was Mitiamo's seventh in a row and it now prepares for a showdown next Saturday against the only team to have beaten it this season - Pyramid Hill.
While they didn't get the win - and lost their position in the top five as a result - it was a far better showing by the Eagles than round one when they lost to the Superoos by 47 points.
"I felt like we were the better side today and should have won the game, but unfortunately, we didn't take a few chances," Eagles coach Wayne Mitrovic said.
"We had plans in place that the guys stuck to really well and showed great effort.
"But there's also that frustration in that we come out today against a red-hot Miti and play the way we did... but where has it been? If we play like that against any other team we win the game, so, hopefully, it's a bit of a turning point."
Consistent wingman Nick Waterson (two goals) was the Eagles' best, while Mitrovic was also pleased with the performance of defender Steve Turner on Maddern in the battle of the two veterans.
Mitrovic and Brayden Aitken both kicked three goals for the Eagles, who are now 4-5 and slipped from fourth to sixth with the loss.
NEWBRIDGE v CALIVIL UNITED
Reigning premier Newbridge forced its way back into the top five with a gritty eight-point win at home over Calivil United.
With both teams hit hard by injuries, it was the Maroons who prevailed 9.10 (64) to 8.8 (56).
"If we didn't win today it was going to make it really hard for us and put a lot of pressure on to have to come home strong," Newbridge coach Brad Comer said.
"We had Sammy Kennedy (suspended) and Ash Trollop (finger) not playing to add to our list of outs and it was just a gutsy win.
"We brought in a few younger players and they did the job and helped to give us a bit of a freshen up.
"Keelan Bertuch was one of those players; he was a really solid contributor and just hates losing a contest.
"Fraser Gentry did a few really courageous things and his second efforts were great."
Tyler Romeril and Chris Dixon kicked two goals each for the Maroons, who named the in-form trio of Will Daly, Billy Price and Chris McLean their three best.
Having been belted by 75 points by the Maroons in round one, the Demons shaved 67 points off that margin in the return bout.
Already missing two forward targets in Michael Cooke (knee) and Chris Sanders (calf), the Demons suffered a further blow early in the game with a shoulder injury to Nathan Dyson.
"Although beaten, under a bit of injury duress we fought the game out well," Demons coach Andrew Freemantle said.
"Unfortunately for us in a game we really needed to win we couldn't get over the line."
Brenton Fitzgerald (two) was Calivil United's only multiple goalkicker, while Freemantle described midfielder Jake Hall's game as the best he has played for the Demons, who are now staring at a second-straight year out of the finals since winning the 2017 flag.
BRIDGEWATER v PYRAMID HILL
Pyramid Hill recorded its biggest winning margin over Bridgewater since 2006 as it continued its season of dominance.
While the final margin was 92 points, it looked like being anything but a blowout at half-time when the Bulldogs led by just seven points, 6.5 to 5.4.
However, the unbeaten Bulldogs broke the shackles after half-time, booting 17 goals to three to win 23.10 (148) to 8.8 (56) at Bridgewater.
The Bulldogs had to weather the storm in the second quarter when they were allowed just 16 on the field after a pair of yellow cards to Brad Driscoll and Michael Bateman.
"The playing group dug really deep through that second quarter to get though those 15 minutes of game time without too much damage to the scoreboard," Bulldogs coach Adrian McErvale said.
The Bulldogs' second half onslaught included kicking 8.0 to 3.4 in the third quarter and 9.5 to 0.0 in a barnstorming last term.
"We wanted to come out after half-time and get back to the free-flowing brand of footy we like to play," McErvale said.
"We were able to out-number them around the contest and get our running game going and move the ball well through the middle of the ground."
Pyramid Hill forwards Braidy Dickens (nine) and Bailey George (six) cashed in on the work further up the ground, bagging 15 goals between them.
Dickens' nine goals were the most by a Pyramid Hill player since Michael Bateman slotted 12 against Inglewood in August of 2011.
"Braidy presented up really well and took some really good clean marks in dangerous positions," McErvale said.
"And that was one of the better games I've seen Bailey play. He kicked six goals, but gave another four or five away as well and worked really hard up and down the ground."
The loss was Bridgewater's third in a row and cost the Mean Machine their spot in the top five.
Forward Alex Powell kicked four of the Mean Machine's eight goals, while mid-season signing Jake Maher from St Bernards in the VAFA and the consistent Liam Jacques were their two best players.
MARONG v INGLEWOOD
Marong climbed two spots on the ladder and into fifth position with a 55-point win over Inglewood at home.
The Panthers put their slow starts of recent weeks behind them, already leading by 44 points at half-time en route to their 16.17 (113) to 8.10 (58) victory.
"We tweaked a couple of things with our preparation to try to get our start right and it worked well," Marong co-coach Taylor Beard said.
"And we brought a much better mindset today... we played with more intent, were a lot more organised and got back to playing our brand of footy, which we'd gone away from over the past month or so."
The Panthers had a spread of 10 goalkickers led by midfielder/forward Adam Ward, who was named best, and forward pocket Josh Cooper with three each.
Midfielders Ward, Nathan Devanny (two goals), Ben Gregg and Zach Turnbull (two goals) all figured among the best for the Panthers, who are now 4-5.
Liam Drummond with two was the sole multiple goalkicker for the 0-9 Blues.
Assistant coach Hayden Polglase, mobile tall Lachlan Sidebottom, who has been the Blues' most consistent player this season, and Peter McKay all battled hard for Inglewood.
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