CATCH UP ON MORE OF THE WEEKEND'S FOOTBALL

REIGNING premier Mitiamo has reached the halfway mark of the Loddon Valley league season as the only undefeated team after beating Bridgewater in Saturday's clash of 1^st vs 2^nd.

With both teams going into the heavyweight battle at Bridgewater with 7-0 records, it was the Superoos who emerged with their unbeaten record intact, winning 9.15 (69) to 4.8 (32) in their first game for 35 days.

"Having had five weeks off (due to the three-week season pause followed by the bye) it was just good to get back out there today," Mitiamo co-coach Andy Grant said.

"We were always going to be a bit underdone and Bridgy's pressure was really good early.

"The first quarter was a bit of a dogfight and our skill level was ordinary early; it took us a while to get going, but the boys worked into the game well."

The Superoos led by 12 points at half-time, 4.8 to 3.2, before adding five goals to one after the break and ending the match with double the scoring shots of Bridgewater, 24-12, as they produced another stifling defensive performance.

Bridgewater's score of 32 was the Mean Machine's lowest since being held to 31 in a 2008 loss to Calivil United.

"To be honest, it was a fairly scrappy game all day. It was greasy and there was a bit of a breeze throughout, so it was tough going," Grant said.

"Lee Dale was super for us again in the midfield and is having a great year. Matt Grant was good, Max Simpson across half-back was good again and Tyrone Downie (three goals) played well up forward."

The Superoos suffered an injury blow with Dylan Clohesy dislocating a shoulder.

Bridgewater co-coach Jayden Donaldson said the 37-point margin in favour of the Superoos flattered his side, conceding the Mean Machine was comprehensively outplayed.

"They could have quite easily kicked another five or six goals had they kicked straight," said Donaldson, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

"We were outplayed by a well-drilled team; they adapted to the windy conditions well and were able to play the game on their terms for the majority of the day.

"Miti set up really well through the middle and behind the footy and, unfortunately, we let ourselves down with our skill execution and played into their hands."

Joe Mayes impressed for the Mean Machine across half-back and in the ruck to be Bridgewater's best.

"Joey was fantastic for us and played a really good game. Tom Dowd was terrific for us on the wing, particularly in the first half when the heat was on, and I thought our backline battled really hard all game," Donaldson said.

The Mean Machine went into the game without four of their key players with Liam Jacques, Alex Powell, Darren Clutton and Boden Alexander all serving suspensions from the previous week's one-point win over Pyramid Hill.

"As a playing group and a club we've internally addressed last week and we're confident we'll be better for it moving forward," Donaldson said.

Ruckman Cameron Ross and midfielder Alex Pollock are both injury concerns for the Mean Machine out of the game.

Marong's imposing star mid-season recruit Brandyn Grenfell has back-to-back double figure bags of goals for his new club.

After booting 10 on debut against Inglewood last week, Grenfell was again unstoppable in the Marong forward line, this time kicking 12 as the building Panthers thumped Newbridge by 154 points at home.

The Panthers scored 41 times from 66 inside 50s in their crushing 29.12 (186) to 4.8 (32) win over the Maroons.

Grenfell's haul of 12 goals was the most by a Marong player since Paul Thomson's 12 against Dunolly in 2003.

"Brandyn has certainly come in and had a massive impact for us. He would have had 10 or so contested marks, his body work is really good and he's a beautiful kick at goal," Marong coach Linton Jacobs said.

"The most pleasing aspect as a coach is the way our forward line is working at the moment. Brandyn, Kain (Robins) and Pepsi (Adrian Pappin) are working really well with the small forwards."

The potent Panthers have now kicked 65 goals while conceding just four in their two games since the re-start of the competition, during which they have massively boosted their percentage from 161.7 to 251.6.

The Panthers showed no let-up on the Maroons, kicking nine goals in the first quarter, seven in the second, six in the third and seven in the last.

"We had a focus of starting well, which we did. Our intensity around the ball and pressure when we didn't have the footy was really good," Jacobs said.

"We set up well behind the footy and when we went forward we got some good bang for buck."

As well as Grenfell, Aron Morish, who played a midfield role, Kain Robins (three goals) and ruckman/wingman Richard Tibbett led the best for the Panthers, who had 10 goalkickers.

In what was Newbridge's biggest loss since 2011, assistant coach Harry Whittle was named best, while James Oliver kicked two of the Maroons' four goals.

Maiden Gully YCW recorded its biggest winning margin for 15 years as the Eagles kept the battling Inglewood goal-less for the second week in a row.

The Eagles ended their five-game losing streak in emphatic style, crushing the Blues 26.22 (178) to 0.1 (1) at Maiden Gully.

Matt Gray and Luke Gray kicked five goals each for the Eagles and ruckman Chris Howgate slotted four, with the trio among 10 Maiden Gully players who hit the scoreboard in the rout.

"The oval was really wet and heavy and the ball spent a lot of time on the ground, so to be able to kick that many goals in those conditions was really pleasing," Eagles coach Wayne Mitrovic said.

"The boys were really consistent throughout the day and it was a pleasing overall performance."

Tom Ferguson and Tori Ferguson headed the best players for the Eagles.

The only score Inglewood - which was held to 0.4 (4) against Marong the previous week - could muster was a behind in the first term.

Matthew Rowe was named the best for the young Blues.

A fast-start set up Pyramid Hill's 45-point win at home over an inaccurate Bears Lagoon-Serpentine.

The Bulldogs kicked nine goals to one in the first half on the way to a 14.10 (94) to 6.13 (49) victory.

"We really wanted to make a stand to get back on the winner's list after last week and we made a really good start," Bulldogs co-coach Nathan Fitzpatrick said.

"We had the breeze in the first quarter and used it really well (7.1 to 1.3) to set the game up.

"We hit up our targets across half-forward a lot better today and were able to get some good entries going inside 50."

Brad Ladson playing across half-back was the standout player for the Bulldogs, while the trio of Scott Mann (two goals), Gavin James and Billy Micevski (two goals) were all key cogs in the victory.

Full-forward Braidy Dickens kicked four goals to take his season tally to 40.

The Bears were a player down from the opening minute when Oscar Amy injured his shoulder.

"I was pretty happy with the boys' effort from quarter-time onwards," Bears coach Greg Gadsden said.

"To Pyramid's credit, their rebound off half-back was really strong and we couldn't combat that for a while. When we did shut it down we got the game back on our terms a little bit, but just couldn't make any inroads on the scoreline."

James Bailey across half-back was the best for the Bears, who had forward James Rippingale kick four of their six goals.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: