Round 8, Foster Showgrounds
Foster 35.11 (221) v Newborough 5.1 (31)
Anyone who has played footy at any level will know how hard it is to get a kick sometimes. Many of us would have left the field with barely a handful of possessions, and on a rare good day some may have even kept a straight face as we lay claim to having “around twenty or so touches” if we added enough “mayo” to our real tally of thirteen or fourteen touches.
So, imagine having a day out where you had as many as eighteen kicks - in a single game? Now imagine all eighteen of these kicks were goals. The mere notion of it is absurd to most of us. Right, eighteen goals in a game, as if.
Well not to Brett Eddy.
That’s right. Eddy helped himself to eighteen majors in his side's huge 190 point win over Newborough. An effort of which coach Jake Best noted was “a great four quarter game for us” before deferring to his next match.
While Best may not have gone into too much detail make no mistake this is something people will talk about for years to come. Generations to come in fact.
Eddy has of course kicked close to 1,300 career goals and has played footy at levels most of us only ever get to see on TV but eighteen in a game, any game, is crazy.
Footy is a team game and whilst Eddy managed to kick over half of his side’s thirty five goals someone has to get him the ball. And whilst he deservedly gets most of the accolades for the day, Jack Rathjen and reigning league medal winner Angus Norton were noted as second and third best on.
And somewhat scarily the next three guys on Foster's best players list all have experience in and around AFL clubs, with Tom Schnieder, Luke Tapscott and Jack Weston filling spots fourth, fifth and sixth best.
Wow, what a performance and what a list of talent. Oh, and Jake Best will return to the fold shortly too…
Newborough were best served by Anthony Daley, Matt Heywood and Liam Fitzpatrick. Last week’s hero Jack Robinson managed two of his side's five majors and was the only multiple goal kicker for the Dogs.
And as much as the Dogs would like to forget the game in the short term I can’t help but get the feeling they too will tell the tale in the years to come of the day they played against a bloke called Brett Eddy who kicked eighteen in a game. Mitchell Berechree
MDU victorious in battle of Dees
Round 8, Meeniyan Rec Reserve
MDU 18.6 (114) v Boolarra 10.9 (69)
In the battle of the Demons, it was the home side, MDU, who came to the fore, racking up a forty-five point win over Boolarra. MDU started quickly and had four majors on the board before Boolarra had even troubled the scorers. They finished the first term with an accurate five goals straight while Boolarra, as has been their want all year, continued to burn their chances finishing with two goals, three behinds from the same number of shots.
After the first break MDU put their foot down, kicking the game's next four goals and stretching their lead out to 45 points before Boolarra kicked a late goal to get the margin back to 39 points at the long break. With the game all but gone Boolarra stuck with their higher ranked opponents in the second half kicking seven goals to eight over the course of the third and fourth quarters.
Pat Kerr again led the way for MDU with half a dozen, with Trent McRae, Steve Forrester and Sam Wilson joining Kerr among the better players for MDU. For Boolarra, it was Matt Devon again leading the charge with the little big man slotting four of his side’s ten for the day. It wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the Demon’s best though, with co-captains Mason Porykali and Joel Mason joining coach Brendan Mason as the better performers for the runners up.
Post match, Mason commented that he was “really happy with the way the boys responded from our game last week” before adding that he felt his side was simply “outclassed” on the day by an opposition that “took all their opportunities in front of goal, kicking eight straight before kicking their first behind.” Mason also noted he was somewhat hamstrung by injury on the day being “down to one on the bench after half time with defender Joel Rasmus injuring a hamstring and Tarmah Litle looking to have done an ACL.”
His counterpart on the day, Rhett Kelly, commented after the match “it was another great day for football, and I am pleased to get back on the winners' list”. It was not all smooth sailing for the winning side though with Kelly adding, “Boolarra pressured us at different stages of the game, and we didn't adjust as much as I would have liked when the momentum had swung their way,” adding that his side “allowed them to move the ball too easily at times.”
Kelly noted he was “extremely pleased with the even contribution from the lads over the last few weeks” which he feels is a sign that “we are not reliant on only a few”. When asked what his focus would be over the league bye Kelly was quick to respond “we will continue to focus on our defence across the entire ground.” Mitchell Berechree
Lions take fast finishing Pies
Round 8, Stony Creek Racecourse
Stony Creek 10.5 (65) v Toora 9.4 (58)
A fast finishing Toora gave up too much of a start to run down Stony Creek in a cracking contest, with the Lions chalking up win number two for the season in a clash that went right down to the wire.
With just a straight kick’s advantage going into the third term, the home side put the foot down and skipped out to a 25 point lead at the last break after keeping Toora scoreless for the term.
But with Tex Dyson firing up front (he finished with three), and Nick Quint and Jake Smart slotting a pair each, the Pies got back within seven points in a nail-biting final term. Lachi Smart and Josh Halsall were among the Pies best in a gallant but ultimately fruitless effort, which sees them slip to last spot on the ladder.
For Stony Creek, it was again Luke Firth leading the way with three majors while Tully Bernaldo kicked two. Young gun Angus McInnes was best on for the winners with Liam Harrington and Tyler Neal also among the stronger contributors.
Stony Creek coach Troy Shepherdson said after his side's win: “we had a very determined Toora come to town today. They came ready to play, and with early injuries we really had to dig deep to hold on.” Shepherdson continued that he was “very proud of the boys battling through with no bench after half time” and that the win was “reward for effort” for his team. Mitchell Berechree
