Round 18

"We pumped this game up like a final, we hadn't beaten Albury for the best part of two decades"

North coach Tim Broomhead on the Hoppers drought-breaking win

The Headline

Wang coach Ben Reid will step down at season's end after 3 years at the helm.

Coincidentally, his brother Sam has just retired from the Sydney Swans. Although he's poured water on following Ben's lead into coaching, the Maggies will surely float the option, eyes no doubt lighting up at a like for like replacement.

Around the Grounds

Plenty coming out of Bunton over the weekend, the Hoppers snapping the longest losing streak in O&M history - 29 matches over 16 years - taking the game away from their arch rivals Albury with 6 unanswered between the midway marks of the 2nd & 4th.

Hopper Foster Gardiner copped a yellow & was reported for head high contact which left Elliot Powell on the stretcher & off to hospital with a neck injury.
Luckily, Powell has escaped without serious injury, but Gardiner has accepted his sanction to sit out the remainder of the home & away.

North will also be without captain George Goode this weekend after his shoulder spent about 15 minutes out of place.

The Rovers were held to the solitary major in the second half, unable to reel in Lavi who led from go to wo in the Panthers finest win of the season, just a week on for their worst capitulation.

While the brown & gold were missing Lochie O’Brien, Kieran Parnell and Will Nolan, it's little excuse as Lavi were without essentially their starting midfield in Billy Glanvill, Tom Hargreave, Nico Sedgwick and Ben Ashley-Cooper.

The Saints had plenty of looks inside 50 with +13 on a miserable day, but were overrun by an accurate Maggies outfit who just handled the conditions better.

More injury concerns for the Pies though, Cal Moore likely to be sidelined for the better part of a month with a hammy.

Goalkickers

🏉 Wodonga's Adam Jorgensen lead the goalkickers on an ordinary day for footy with 4

🏉 Yarra's Mick Gibbons returned for his first game in over 2 months, pairing with Nick Fothergill for 3 apiece against the Roos

🏉 Hopper Josh Minogue extended his lead from the goalless Moore, and now looks a shoe in for the Doug Strang

Match of the Round

(2) North v Lavi (7)

Even though there's not much to pick from, this standalone fixture holds its own.

The Hoppers will be riding high after breaking the league's longest hoodoo, jumping to 2nd on the table & surely cementing a top 3 finish, now 2 games clear of Wang, Albury & Wodonga.

Meanwhile, the Panthers inconsistency must surely haunt their supporters, but they've proven their best is more than enough to compete with wins over the Tiges & now the Rovers.

Just depends which Lavi shows up.

Form: North (4-1) - Lavi (2-3)

Last time: R7 - Hoppers by 18 points

Tip: Hoppers by 18 points

"A suspended player is not allowed on the ground. Joel can coach from the box but is not allowed to have any official capacity on the ground"

League Ops Manager Dalton Wegener on Jindera's coaching situation

The Headline

Strap in for the Hume League edition of the July finals, with the top 6 facing off in a preview of September action.

Can the Doggies rattle the comps best as Smack welcomes his old mob to his new(ish) home?

Will the Power double down on their earlier triumph over the Brookers?

Are the Giants the ones to break the Dees fortress?

Around the Grounds

Jindera arrested a mid-season form slump to hold off a Howlong outfit that pushed the Doggies to the edge.

Coach Joel Mackie made a successful, if short lived return to the field, accepting a 1 match ban (down from 2 with the early plea) for smacking Spider Will McCormack.

Osborne resisted some early pressure from CDHBU.

Denying the Power scoreboard influence despite reasonable supply, then striking late in the first & second quarters to establish a comfortable 35 point lead at the half, the Tiges ran away easily in the end.

Lockhart were ruthless at home against Culcairn.

The Dees, led superbly by Jordy Harrington, cut through the Lions with ease to add on 8 shots per quarter with a little extra salt & pepper in the last.

Harrington holds a 1 vote lead in the Coaches Player of the Year count ahead of Osborne's Max Hillier, and is in the kind of form that may well send consecutive Azzi's out to Lockhart.

Goalkickers

🏉 Mid-season Jindera pickup Archie Storer showed his craft in the wet with 5

🏉 Holbrook's Luke Gestier & Ben Parker both bagged 4, Gestier again extending his lead of the goalkickers

🏉 Osborne's Hugh Schmetzer & Howlong's Ben Baker were next best with 3 apiece

Match of the Round

(5) Lockhart v RWW (4)

While the trip out to Lockhart has become the Highway to Hell for most, the Giants amalgamation are probably the most consistent at home & on the road - offensively even - defensively, under a goal better at home.

They're also no strangers to travel, splitting home matches amongst 3 bases.

Just .62 of a percent separate these two, so it's set for a ripper.

Form: Lockhart (5-0) - RWW (3-2)

Last time: R3 - Giants by 21 points

Tip: Giants by 1 point

"I feel we have done the hard yards and laid the foundation for our next finals assault"

Outgoing Mitta coach Luke Hodgkin on his legacy with the Mountain Men

The Headline

Thurgoona have finally taken their big scalp after a season of threatening to do so.

A major fightback was needed after managing just the solitary major until late in the 3rd, but 2 late snags before the last break had the Doggies back within striking distance, & this was one they'd not let slip.

Payback for their humiliation at Chiltern earlier in he season is even the sweeter, likely having cost the Swans a chance at top spot and potentially even the top 3.

Around the Grounds

Barny survived a scare from a highly competitive Wodonga.

The Saints kept the Tiges scoreless in the last while trying to chase down a 14 point margin, ultimately unable to convert on their 1.3 & falling short.

Soggy conditions weren’t enough to stop Yack taking 60+ shots against a hapless, & scoreless Wahgunyah.

Survive the next fortnight against the Dogs & Swans, & the Roos have taken out the minor premiership.

Mitta have drawn level with Tallangatta after taking down the Hoppers at the Bughouse.

Despite managing just a goal a quarter, the Mountain Men kept the Hoppers goalless after the half to sneak the W.

It must've seemed like the right time for Luke Hodgkin to announce he'll step down at season's end, Mitta quickly announcing Beau Packer as his replacement as they continue to poach from Birallee.

Goalkickers

🏉 Roo Bailey Glass is unlucky not to lead this round's goalkickers with 9, pipped by teammate Nick Donaghey who jagged 12

🏉 Plenty with 3 this week - Mitta's Jordan Mackenzie, Beechy's Dylan Pritchard, Barny's Bailey Dixon, Wodonga's Ryan Coates, Chiltern's Dion Gleeson & KSC's Tim Kindellan

🏉 Barny's Jack Chesser remains top of the table, extending his lead to 13, now on 68 after 3 majors himself

Match of the Round

(1) Yack v Thurgoona (5)

The Doggies had threatened a big name win all season after pushing the Hawks, Bushies & Roos, the effort paying off last weekend by claiming the prized scalp of the reigning premiers.

It's a whole different assignment this time around though, on the road to the ladder leaders who themselves have taken care of Beechworth & KSC of recent, & welcome a Team of the Year lockdown defender in Angus Lingham back to the league's stingiest defence.

Form: Yack (5-0) - Thurgoona (3-1-1)

Last time: R3 - Roos by 8 points

Tip: Roos by 30 points

“We don’t really take too much notice with the ladder - Our good can match it, but some weeks it’s not the case. For us, it’s about building consistency”

King Valley co-coach Tony Ciancio on the Roos drive to improve

The Headline

King Valley won't die wondering, grinding out the points over Goorambat in a 130 point turn around from last they met.

Despite failing to register a goal through the 2nd & 3rd, a fast start & gutsy finish saw the Roos claim an important win that means they hold pole position for a finals berth.

Around the Grounds

North Wang missed an opportunity for a percentage booster with inaccurate kicking against Tarra, managing just 59 points from 24 shots on.

Bonnie Doon claimed back top spot from Greta on the bye, the Bombers not so friendly at Friendlies, keeping Benalla scoreless on their way to a 147 point shellacking.

Bright doubled Moyhu's entire output in the first quarter alone, not hugely impressive given the Hoppers managed just 1.1, their only major coming in the first term.

Goalkickers

🏉 Bomber Luke Murray headed the goalkickers on a dreary day with 5

🏉 Bright's Luke Quirk, Milawa's Brady Bartlett & Bonnie Doon’s James Law all bagged 4

🏉 Bright's Cooper Thomason remains on top, 6 clear of Blue Frazer Judd with 69

Match of the Round

(7) North Wang v Bonnie Doon (1)

Why this one, you say?

The result can't be in question. What is though, is how much damage the Hawks can limit?

With the Bombers, All Blacks & Mountain Men before a do or die before the finals against the Roos, North Wang can't afford to concede percentage that will no doubt prove invaluable in the make-up of the 6, the Hawks with just 22% to play with at present.

Form: North Wang (3-2) - Bonnie Doon (5-0)

Last time: R10 - Bombers by 115 points

Tip: Bombers by 90 points