LVFNL - Gadsden cleared of serious injury after game abandoned

BEARS Lagoon-Serpentine's Harry Gadsden has been cleared of any serious injury stemming from Saturday's Loddon Valley league match against Newbridge that was called off in the second quarter.

Gadsden suffered a "whiplash" injury about 20 minutes into the second quarter of the game at Newbridge.

However, with the game held up for more than 30 minutes waiting for an ambulance and paramedics to arrive to attend to Gadsden, under AFL Victoria rules the match was called off and declared a draw given it was before half-time.

The Bears were leading 10.3 (63) to 6.2 (38) at the time.

Gadsden was taken to Bendigo Hospital where he was cleared of any major injury Saturday night.

"He has got the all clear... the scans have come back and there is no break (in his neck), which is a real positive and it looks more like a bad case of whiplash more than anything else," Gadsden's dad, and Bears coach, Greg Gadsden, said on Sunday.

"He will be fairly sore for a couple of days, but he will be up and going again in a week or so.

"He got caught between two players in a tackle and his neck got whiplashed and he landed flat on his back. He had a little bit of a convulsion to start with and that's why he was initially kept still. He went up to Hospital and had it checked out and it's all come back positive."

Greg said there was nothing untoward in the incident, which happened in the centre square.

"What I'd say it was probably a careless tackle, but certainly nothing untoward in it at all," Greg said.

"I thought at the time it should have been a free kick and that was about it."

The Bears had kicked five goals to two during the second term to extend what had been a six-point lead at quarter-time to 25.

"From our club point of view, Harry's welfare is obviously the most important. Our boys weren't worried about the result, just as long as Harry was okay," Newbridge coach Brad Comer said.

"It's great to have a game of footy, but a a player's health is the priority."

Maiden Gully YCW recorded its biggest win for 15 years, demolishing Inglewood by 156 points at home.

The Eagles' win, combined with Bears Lagoon-Serpentine's draw against Newbridge, means their round 18 clash against each other next Saturday will be a straight-forward case of the winner finishes third and earns the double chance.

The Eagles coasted to a 27.12 (174) to 2.6 (18) thrashing of the Blues, who had been held goal-less for the first three quarters.

Maiden Gully YCW kicked 13 goals in the first half and 14 in the second, with the 156-point margin the Eagles' biggest since a 166-point win over Inglewood late in the 2004 season.

"The most pleasing part of today is the boys could have just been satisfied with a 10-goal win and gone through the motions in the second half. But they kept their effort up for the four quarters," Eagles coach Wayne Mitrovic said.

Key forward Matt Gray helped himself to eight goals for the Eagles, while Cohen Kekich and Clinton Angove slotted four each and Brayden Aitken added three, with those four among 11 Maiden Gully YCW goalkickers.

Nick Waterson, who racked up plenty of touches on a wing, Gray and centre half-back Alex Pearson led the best for the Eagles, who look to be peaking at the right time of the season.

The defeat was the third in a row by more than 100 points for the Blues, whose best was Jaxon Billett, while Lachlan Sidebottom kicked their only two goals.

Bridgewater's season has come to an end, with the Mean Machine's slim finals hopes snuffed out by Mitiamo.

With a bye to come in the last round, to be any chance of playing finals the Mean Machine needed to beat the Superoos, but were handed a 14.20 (104) to 5.3 (33) hiding at Mitiamo.

The Mean Machine could muster just one behind across the second and third quarters.

"It was a disappointing way to finish the season. We made a lot of mistakes, but to Mitiamo's credit, they were really good,'' said Bridgewater coach Dale Cameron, who will continue in the role next year.

"Our best is very good, but we jut didn't bring it today."

The Superoos were already 58 points up at half-time on the way to their biggest win over Bridgewater since 2006.

"Our first half was really good, but we probably just went through the motions a bit in the second," Mitiamo co-coach Andy Grant said.

"To the credit of Bridgy, though, they played the game right out and won the last quarter, which was disappointing for us."

Luke Lougoon was again a source of constant drive off half-back to be Mitiamo's best, while co-coach Tyrone Downie and Dylan Clohesy kicked four goals each.

Wade Kinniburgh was the Mean Machine's only multiple goalkicker with two. Midfielder Liam Jacques capped an outstanding season by again being named best for Bridgewater, which ends 2019 with the same record as last year: 7-9.

Pyramid Hill put its foot down after half-time to blow Calivil United away by 68 points.

The Demons were within 17 points at half-time before the Bulldogs added nine goals to one to prevail 14.12 (96) to 4.4 (28) at Calivil.

"Pyramid Hill was far too good for us today. They played a really good brand of footy and were able to open us up," Demons coach Andrew Freemantle said.

"Our pressure dropped off after half-time and their run took over and we just couldn't go with them.

"Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of winners today."

Pyramid Hill was best served by Andrew Dobby, Gavin James and Sam Mewett. Adrian Holland was the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker with three.

Defenders Sam Demeo and Alex Davis, along with Jonas Somerville, battled hard for the Demons, who had forward Michael Cooke kick two of their four goals.

The result keeps Pyramid Hill on top of the ladder by 12 percent from Mitiamo, while the Demons will enter round 18 needing to beat Inglewood and relying on Marong to lose to Mitiamo if they are to play finals.

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