NYAH-NYAH West United have extended their winning streak to four after defeating Kerang by 59 points in a rematch of last year’s grand final.
The final margin was just five points more than last year’s decider but played in very different circumstances, with the Blues hanging with the Demons in the first half as opposed to being blown out of the water as they were in the first half of the grand final.
It was after half-time where Kerang struggled, with NNW United booting 13 goals after the main break to run out convincing 20.9 (129) to 11.4 (70) winners.
The result sees the reigning premiers climb to fourth on the ladder at the half way point of the season, with NNW United co-coach Corey Daniels pleased with his team’s second half performance.
“They (Kerang) attacked really well and were hard to defend, credit to them in the first half and the way they played, but we sort of got going in the second half and controlled the contest for much of it I felt,” Daniels said.
“From halfway through the second quarter I though we really started to get going and play some good footy and we started to put the score on the board.
“It was good to grind away and win when things aren’t always going your way.
“They (Kerang) were pretty quick and they had a real crack in that first quarter.
“They were pretty good at the contest and got the ball going their way in the conditions, which were pretty slippery to be honest.
“We probably didn’t adapt as quickly as we should have to those conditions but when we did I thought we played the better footy.”
Daniels himself kicked five goals for the Demons in a change of roles, with Max Thompson and Joel Walsh also booting three majors as NNW United shared the goalkicking responsibilities around.
Zak Bozanich continued to provide a strong target for the Blues and finished with five majors, with Bohden McKnight the only other multiple goal scorer for the home side with three, with the Blues dearth of attacking option proving to be a key factor in their downfall.
“We probably had more avenues to goal in the end and I think that was probably the difference,” Daniels said.
“We were able to get some clean ball movement at times as well, but other than that it was a pretty even contest.
“The score line probably blew out a little bit at the end, but it was definitely a more even contests than the final score would suggest.”
Kerang coach Paul Grayling was content with his team’s effort after the match despite the loss, with the Blues quickly turning their attention to their next game against the Mallee Eagles following this Saturday’s bye.
“The boys put up a good fight, we stuck with them for a half of footy but just faded out a bit in the second half,” Grayling said.
“These things happen with a young group but our effort was there all day so we can take a lot of positives out of that.
“We’ll just continue to work on our shortfalls over the break and get ready for our next big test against the Mallee Eagles in a fortnight’s time.”
Max Thompson was a standout for the Demons, with the small forward working tirelessly up the ground as well as in front of goals.
Thompson, who was fresh off a five-goal haul for Vic. Country at last week’s under-16’s national championships, was clean with his ball use and had a hand in multiple scoring chains for the Demons, with Ethan Saville and Ethan Curran also dominant around the contest for the visitors.
Tyson Clingan and Marty Kelly won plenty of the ball through the midfield for Kerang, with Rylee Gitsham, Flynn McKnight, Myles Greenwood and Bohden McKnight also named as their better players.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Kerang | 1.1 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 11.4 | 70 |
| NNW United | 3.2 | 7.5 | 15.9 | 20.9 | 129 |
VOTES
3 – Max Thompson (NNW United)
2 – Ethan Saville (NNW United)
1 – Tyson Clingan (Kerang)
