BIRCHIP-Watchem have flexed their muscles as the North Central league began the second half of the season, with the Bulls easily accounting for last year’s runners-up Nullawil by 104 points at the weekend.
The ladder leaders were never challenged after producing a six-goals-to-one opening quarter.
The Bulls doubled their advantage to 63 points at half-time to have their game safe within their keeping, before finishing the job after to record a 22.16 (148) to 6.8 (44) win.
Ben Edwards starred up forward, kicking eight goals for the match, and extended his lead as the North Central’s leading goalkicker with his 57th goal of the season.
But it was the four-quarter performance from his team that impressed Birchip-Watchem coach Trevor Ryan, with the Bulls making a statement that they are the team to beat after disposing of a potential finals opponent in such emphatic fashion.
“We didn’t expect to put them away like we did, but it was good that we played every minute of every quarter, which in turn gave us that result,” Ryan said.
“It’s always a bit of a concern coming off a bye as to how your mindset is in regards to effort across a game of footy, but it was pretty good from the first bounce to the last, so I was pretty happy.
“We just focused on winning the clearances and contested footy. They were our two focuses that we put on the board and we dominated the centre clearances and contested ball around stoppages.
“We had Hamish (Hosking) back in and had a pretty solid midfield that just cut the lines of opportunities for (Nullawil). They had a few missing too and we took advantage of that.
“Nick Rippon was a standout, he would have had 40 touches and kicked three goals and played really well in the midfield. Hamish Hosking won a lot of hit-outs and fed it to those guys. Ben Edwards kicked eight at full forward and Joe Reid played really well at centre half-forward.
“We didn’t have a passenger across the ground, which was very pleasing and everyone contributed, but they were the standouts.”
The news wasn’t all good for Birchip-Watchem, with James Lindebach entering the 21-day concussion protocols after coming from the field mid-game, while Lachlan Ryan’s availability for this Saturday’s must-win game against Donald is in doubt after suffering a thumb injury.
While it was a dirty day for the Maroons, there were some positives for last year’s runners-up.
Brent Sheahan’s return to his home club came with a return to form and he was named among the visitors’ better players, along with Mitch Farmer, Daniel Watts and Rylee Smith, who was the only multiple goal scorer for the Maroons with two.
The heavy defeat will lift the pressure at Nullawil, who have fallen to sixth place on the North Central ladder after Wedderburn leapfrogged their way into the top four with a 40-point win over St Arnaud.
It was a welcome return to form for the Redbacks, with their last win coming in round 4 against Boort.
For the first half an hour it looked as though their winless streak would continue, however, with the Saints keeping Wedderburn goalless in the opening quarter and opening up a 23-point lead at the first break.
But the home side hit back with seven unanswered goals in the second quarter to blow the game open.
From there the Redbacks were never headed, with a dominant third term stamping their authority on the game.
They went on to a 12.7 (79) to 6.3 (39) win, with Tom Campbell leading the way with three goals for the home side.
The closest match of the round also had a big bearing on the make-up of this year’s finals series, with Donald claiming a 20-point win over Wycheproof-Narraport and moving themselves two and a half games clear of the now fifth-placed Demons.
In a low-scoring match that ebbed and flowed all afternoon, it was the Royal Blues who finished the strongest. A four-goals-to-two final quarter helped them extend their seven-point three-quarter-time lead and go on to a 7.12 (54) to 5.4 (34) win.
The final match of the round also went according to the script, with Sea Lake Nandaly recording a 99-point win over Boort, with Billy McInnes and Tyson McKenzie each kicking three goals in the 19.21 (135) to 5.6 (36) win. Tigers veteran Luke Martin celebrated his 300th senior game.
