Hatherleigh 11.14 d. Robe 10.7
A bumper crowd witnessed the two undefeated teams do battle at the seaside with Hatherleigh triumphing over Robe by a bare 13 points in the Mid South Eastern Football League match of the day on Saturday.
It was intense and quality footy and all 42 players enhanced their chances of representing the MSEFL in the interleague fixture against the new Limestone Coast Football League at Blue Lake Sports Park in Mount Gambier on Saturday.
Some players might be nursing an odd bruise or two, but overall the players stuck to the rules and there was little “biffo”.
The fortunes of the two sides ebbed and flowed over the course of two 2.5 hours with the greatest lead being Hatherleigh’s 16-point advantage during the second term.
The home team was three points in arrears at the first change and then five at the long break.
With a perfect playing surface and weather conditions, each side had managed only five goals by half time.
Goals continued to be as scarce as hen’s teeth in the second half but Robe got their beaks in front by the last change.
Tempers flared in the third term when local MP and field umpire Nick McBride simultaneously yellow-carded Hatherleigh’s Jack Skeer and Robe’s Jed Jarrett for indiscretions.
It was Hatherleigh that ran out the game well and one of Skeer’s three goals was the best of the contest.
The Eagles will be stronger when the likes of Darcy Bateman, Jed Telfer and the Wight brothers recover from injury while the Roosters looked to have played some virus-affected players.
Field umpires Colin Byles, Brett Watson and McBride had plenty to do and did it well.
The number of spectators was in record territory owing to a Ladies Day fundraiser for the Cancer Council as well as the possibility of this being a preview to the first-ever meeting of the Roosters and the Eagles in a grand final.
The Ladies Day at the former B Grade booth attracted 90 participants and was a gesture to mark the passing due to cancer of two Robe Netball Club stalwarts during the off-season.
After the bye for interleague, Hatherleigh next plays Tantanoola at home in round 9 while Robe does not play again until June 22 when it hosts the Tigers.
Mount Burr 15.11 d. Tantanoola 7.8
Mount Burr players put two heavy losses to Robe and Hatherleigh behind them and defeated Tantanoola at Tigerland by 51 points.
The win enabled the Mozzies to leapfrog the Glencoe Murphies and move back to third place.
Coach Clint Gallio and vice-captain Jack Gregory led the goal kicking for the victors with four majors each.
Regular defenders Sam Wallis and Jackson Dean also performed well ahead of centre with three goals each.
Having made his debut in 2013, it was the 150th A Grade game for Wallis.
The Mozzies paid a high price for the win with ex-skipper and interleague representative Josh Fiebig sustaining a serious lower leg injury.
The game was delayed for 30 minutes while an ambulance was summoned.
It was one of three calls made to Tigerland to treat injured footballers by the SA Ambulance Service.
Tantanoola’s best was teen Cade Kelly.
After the bye, Mount Burr hosts Glencoe with the Ian McInnes Memorial Shield at stake while Tantanoola ventures out to Hatherleigh to play the undefeated top team.
Nangwarry 6.10 d. Kongorong 5.6
It may have been only a 10-point margin at Kongorong but the victory has lifted Nangwarry off the bottom of the premiership table.
The breakthrough win was a tonic for the Saints who have endured much off-ground heartache in 2024.
The Hawks now sit at the foot of the table but are only 0.04 % behind the Saints.
No more than two points separated the sides at the three changes of ends.
The day belonged to visiting teen Ty Dinnison as his return of four goals out of six was a career-high in senior company.
The Hawks take on the Port MacDonnell Demons at the seaside for the Ian Smith Trophy in round 9 while Nangwarry hosts reigning premiers Kalangadoo who will be fresh after a three-week lay-off.
Port MacDonnell 19.12 d. Glencoe 14.4
Glencoe’s occupancy of third place was short-lived as it succumbed at home to Port MacDonnell by 38 points and now sits in fourth sport on percentage.
As exclusively revealed by The SE Voice, the Murphies were granted four additional premiership points by the Mid South East Football League after the Robe team sheet error in round two.
The visitors began well and took an 18-point lead into the first change.
The home side responded in good fashion to almost even the ledger by the long break.
With acting skipper Ned Wilke leading the charge, Port MacDonnell piled on 6.4 in the third term while conceding only 1.1.
There was little chance of Glencoe making up the 29-point deficit and the honours were shared in the final term.
It was a meritorious away win by the Demons and was achieved without the services of captain Tim Sullivan and coach Josh Woodall.
The stand-out player for Glencoe was Alex Hentschke with eight of his team’s 14 goals.
Glencoe heads to Mick and Jean Walker Oval at Mount Burr on June 15 while Port MacDonnell is home to Kongorong.
In other news, the interleague training squad will gather for its second run under coach Clint Gallio at Mount Burr tonight.
The team to wear the red and black colours on Saturday is expected to be announced after training at Glencoe on Thursday night.
