MOULAMEIN have claimed their first win of the season, defeating Murrabit by just a single point, the dramatic comeback win the highlight of the round of Golden Rivers football.
Having trailled throughout the game and by as much as 23 points at three-quarter-time, the Swans turned up the heat in the final term and kicked five goals to Murrabit’s two for the quarter.
The Swans’ late inaccuracy could have come back to bite them in the fourth quarter as they added six behinds to their tally, but the final-quarter charge was still enough for Moulamein to triumph.
Murrabit will be left to wonder if they let the game slip through their own inaccuracy, kicking four goals and eight behinds up until half time.
Starting from the half-back line, livewire Trae Atkinson starred for the Swans, providing relentless run and line-breaking ability for his side in his fifth game since returning to the Moulamein side.
On-baller Rodney Reeves was another of the Swans’ best while James White provided the Swans with a dangerous option ahead of the ball.
The ability of Moulamein’s back line to stand up to Murrabit’s pressure was key to the win, with Mark Drotsky strong at centre half-back and vice-captain Cody Storm getting the job done from full back.
It was another key defender who stood out for the Blues, with centre half-back Jacob Wade impressing with his intercept and rebound abilities.
Austin McKerrow and Tobie Cameron put in impressive performances through the middle, while Ryan Manning was also damaging from the wing.
Both sides will now be faced with a tough task in next round’s matches, when Murrabit look to bounce back against ladder leaders Hay and Moulamein aim to cause an upset against Ultima.
The round’s other games sprung few surprises as the league’s two leading sides, Hay and Ultima, dispatched their opponents Wandella and Ultima.
Macorna remained within touching distance throughout the first half until the Roos kicked into gear after half-time to pile on seven goals to the Tigers’ single second-half goal.
A major turning point occurred in the match’s second quarter when an off-the-ball incident saw Ultima coach Kyle Symons knocked out cold.
After an extended delay in the game, once play resumed the Roos played with passion to pile on eight goals.
Ultima’s class was on full display in the latter stages, piling on the Tigers’ misery to win by 55 points in a fiery match.
Roos forward Ricky Wild was judged to be their best performer, adding four goals in an impressive performance.
Matt Tavera, Caillum Brady, Thomas Bull and Rory Bell also impressed in the win in which skipper Jake Foster kicked three goals.
Hay continued their undefeated start to their premiership defence with a 10-goal win over Wandella in front of their home crowd thanks to a five-goal haul to skipper Kenneth Jubb.
The Lions had five multiple goalkickers for the game, with William Collis and Jensen Hargreaves both kicking bags of three and Jack Cattanach and Jock Crighton finishing with two goals apiece.
Collis, Cattanach and co-captain Brad Pocock were the best performers for the Lions, while Joel Crocker and Bentley Murphy also impressed.
Hay kept the Bombers at arm’s length throughout the game, leading at every break and piling on the scoring shots.
Wandella co-coaches Justin Robinson and Adam Ward carried on their goalkicking form, finishing the game with three and two goals respectively.
Young-gun Nathan Boysen continued his strong start to the season for the Bombers, with Logan Keighran, Hack Radcliffe and John Cooper also playing well.
