Four one-sided matches in round nine on Saturday brought a disappointing week to a close for the Mid South East Football League.
The week had begun with the MSEFL interleague team being thrashed by the new Limestone Coast Football League to the tune of 55 points at Blue Lake Sports Park in Mount Gambier on June 8.
Worse was to follow for the MSEFL with the closest margin on the resumption of club footy being 72 points between victors and third-placed Mount Burr and fourth-placed Glencoe at Mick and Jean Walker Oval.
This was the only match where the margin was less than 100 points as forwards like Hatherleigh’s seven-goal forward Paddy Chay made full use of the good conditions.
The average margin across the four games in round nine was 110 points and this is the equivalent of around 18 goals.
Mount Burr 22.8 d Glencoe 10.8
The Ian McInnes Memorial is staying in the Mount Burr clubrooms for at least a further 12 months after the Mozzies thrashed the Murphies by 72 points.
First awarded in 1998 after the death in the previous year of the former Mount Burr president and secretary, it has been won by the Mozzies on 18 occasions.
Glencoe has taken home the shield on eight occasions with the most recent win coming in 2019.
The win by the green and golds at home was their sixth of the home and away season and kept them in third spot while Glencoe has tumbled down to sixth.
The Burr Boys had suffered season-ending injuries to Jack Muhovics and ex-skipper Josh Fiebig in round 8 and there were worries about the state of a back injury to coach Clint Gallio, who had to sit out the interleague contest the previous weekend but took to the field.
Gallio was in sparking form and was named best by the Mount Burr hierarchy.
Visiting skipper Dylan Childs booted the first goal of the game at the five-minute mark after being fed a handball by his vice-captain Patrick Mitchell.
The home team did most of the attacking in the remainder of the first term and took a 13-point lead into quarter time.
What followed was arguably Mount Burr’s best quarter of 2024 as they slammed on 9.1 and conceded just 2.5
The cause of the Murphies was not helped by the antics of two senior players who backchatted the umpires.
One conceded two 50 metre penalties while the other was issued with a yellow card for a 15-minute spell on the bench.
The difference was 51 points at the long break and then each team booted four goals in the third term.
With the game decided, much of the interest in the final term was whether regular Mozzie defender Josh Wallis could boot a goal as the climax to his 200th game.
Earlier in the day, there were draws in the senior colts and B Grade matches.
Glencoe heads to Hatherleigh in round 10 while Mount Burr hosts Kongorong.
Kalangadoo 20.15 d Nangwarry 3.6
Reigning premiers Kalangadoo banked plenty of percentage thanks to a 111-point win at Nangwarry.
Due to the scheduled bye and a break for the South East Regional Carnival at Mount Gambier, the Magpies had the benefit of a 21-day break from play.
Over in the Nangwarry camp, it was an emotional time as the funeral of popular player Dylan Podobnik was held in Mount Gambier on Friday.
After a tight opening term, the Magpies took control and were never threatened.
Kalangadoo hosts Port MacDonnell in round 10 with it being scheduled as the annual Indigenous Round.
It will feature a Welcome to Country from Kalangadoo identity Tim Brennan.
Nangwarry has the bye in round 10.
Hatherleigh 31.13 d Tantanoola 11.9
Ladder leaders Hatherleigh completed a perfect start to the first half of the season with a 124-point home ground victory over an undermanned Tantanoola.
It was the first match since the announcement the Hatherleigh Golf Course would close on June 30 after 48 years of operation.
The nine-hole, par three course has not been able to overcome the twin financial pressures of rising costs and declining patronage.
The stand-out for the victors was Chay’s seven goals and he now has 35 majors – three more than Glencoe’s Alex Hentschke.
Chay is on target to be the first Hatherleigh player since David Green to win the league goalkicking trophy.
Formerly with the Port Adelaide Magpies, Green booted 90 goals in the Hatherleigh premiership year of 2008.
Hatherleigh hosts Glencoe on Saturday with a sidelight being a Fight MND charity stunt involving the dunking of club and league identities.
Tantanoola will return to Tigerland to meet Robe who will be fresh from a three week lay-off.
Port MacDonnell 29.19 D
Kongorong 8.12
The Ian Smith Trophy is staying at the Bay after Port MacDonnell lowered the colours of Kongorong at the seaside to the tune of 133 points.
The fate of the match was decided by quarter time when the home side had 15 scoring shots to two and led by 38 points.
The most remarkable term was the third when 14 goals were scored – 10 by the home side and four by the visitors.
Kongorong visits Mount Burr on Saturday while Port MacDonnell heads to Kalangadoo.
