BRIDGEWATER spearhead Lachlan Sharp continued his dominant season with a 13-goal haul against Calivil United as the Mean Machine recorded an even 100-point win to climb into the top three.
Sharp followed his 20-goal performance against Mitiamo seven days earlier with another impressive display to take his season tally to 74 goals – still trailing Bears Lagoon-Serpentine’s Josh Mellington by 13 goals in the pair’s Loddon Valley goalkicking shootout.
After keeping the Demons goalless in the opening quarter, the Mean Machine managed to open a 69-point lead at half-time, before continuing on with the job after the main break to record a commanding 23.13 (151) to 7.9 (51) win.
After kicking just one goal in the first half, Calivil United produced a more competitive performance after half-time, with Thomas Piazza kicking three majors to be among his team’s better players, along with Cody Thompson, Mitchell Stephens and Samuel Green.
While Sharp was dominant up forward, midfielder Boden Alexander also continued his strong season to be named as the Mean Machine’s best player, with Oliver Watt, Jack Neylon and Harry Donegan also key contributors.
The big winners from the weekend were Newbridge, who find themselves in fifth spot following their 39-point win over winless Mitiamo.
Both teams went goalless for the opening 30 minutes, kicking 10 behinds between them, Newbridge soon broke clear in the second term despite wasting further opportunities in front of goal to score 4.13 for the half.
The one saving grace for the Maroons was the likewise poor goalkicking display from Mitiamo, the match ending 8.19 (67) to 3.10 (28).
Midfielder Ben McKinley was among Newbridge’s better players in just his second game for the club, along with Dylan Lloyd, Tyler McLeod and Jack Teasdale, while Kobe Galvin, Jack Vinnicombe, Liam Shiell and Waylon Draper were the best for Mitiamo.
Elsewhere, top-two teams Marong and Pyramid Hill flexed their muscles with strong wins over Inglewood and Maiden Gully-YCW respectively.
The Panthers were at their clinical best in disposing of the Blues, with the reigning premiers having 21 scoring shots to four in the first half, before producing a devastating 13 goals after half-time to record a 22.24 (156) to 4.6 (30) win.
It was another concerning performance from Inglewood, who have lost their last three matches by a combined 266 points and have fallen to sixth on the ladder.
Matthew Riordan and Kain Robins each kicked five goals for Marong, with Corey Gregg, Lachlan Frankel and Noah and Jack McCaig joining Riordan and Robins as the Panthers’ best, with Daniel Hughes, Will Allen and Cody Stobaus named Inglewood’s better players.
Pyramid Hill were impressive in accounting for MGYCW, keeping the Eagles scoreless for the first half and just one goal for the match on their way to a 167-point victory.
The Bulldogs had 13 individual goalkickers, with Zach Alford the most prolific with four majors in the 25.24 (174) to 1.1 (7) win, with defender Tom McGregor named as Pyramid Hill’s best player alongside Damon Hemphill, Brad Ladson and Bailey George.
Angus Monfries, Thomas Pridgeon, Declan Phyland and Jack McHutchison were the best for MGYCW, with William Noden the Eagles’ lone goalkicker in the heavy defeat.
