Robe def. Kalangadoo
Robe’s 40-point defeat of Kalangadoo at home on Saturday in the second round of the Mid South Eastern Football League shows the reigning premiers have to lift their work rate in order to claim the 2023 flag.
After conceding 16 goals to the Kongorong forwards at home in a wet opening round, the Magpie defenders were again fully stretched.
With recruits, juniors, continuing and returning players to the fore, new Rooster coach Nathan Brown is assembling a side that looks capable of extending its season deep into September.
The Roosters led at every change and had two principal targets in attack.
Newcomer Henry Hawker booted a game-high tally of four goals while ex-colt Hamish Smith added three.
On the other hand, no Magpie was able to kick multiple goals.
Although some of the winning grand final team of 2022 were missing, Kalangadoo mostly replaced them with players with other premiership honours.
Matches between the two clubs have grown in intensity over the past five seasons for all manner of reasons and so the seasiders were glad to get the premiership points and the bragging rights.
The defeat would have been a bitter pill to swallow for the visitors and they have to wait until July for the return match to make amends.
Adding to the sense of occasion was the presence of several members of the 2003 Robe A Grade premiership team.
They were marking 20 years since they defeated Glencoe at Nangwarry.
Robe makes the 310km round trip to fellow unbeaten Port MacDonnell on Saturday, while Kalangadoo is home to the in-form Mount Burr.
Mount Burr def. Tantanoola
Abumper crowd on Mount Burr’s famous Can Hill on Saturday night saw the home team eclipse Tantanoola under lights to the tune of a mere seven points.
It was the first time the $200,000 lighting system had been used in a home-and-away game and it passed with flying colours.
The size of the crowd and the willingness of the other football grades and all netball teams to change their starting times suggests night footy will be embraced in the MSEFL.
The Mozzies were away well in the opening term and made the most of their opportunities to record four straight goals.
Although they had 45% of the play, the Tigers found themselves 22 points in arrears as they only booted two behinds.
The visitors bounced back amidst the rain of the second term to thread through five goals and cut the deficit back to only two points at the long break.
It was a remarkable effort as key Tantanoola forward Robbie Versace was off-the-field due to injury.
Mount Burr had the upper hand in a wet third term and turned for home with a lead of 11 points.
The rain eased and Tantanoola took the lead after two unanswered goals.
The green-and-golds then turned to senior players Jack Gregory and Josh Wallis to each goal and put the game out of reach of Tantanoola.
Mount Burr heads to Kalangadoo in round three to contest the Harry Bott Memorial Trophy while the Tigers host Nangwarry.
Glencoe def. Hatherleigh
Glencoe crushed Hatherleigh by 97 points at home in an amazing change of fortunes within a week.
The Murphies had been undermanned in the opening round at the Bay and booted a meagre tally of just three goals.
With the return of coach Tom Edwards, the home team gave the visitors a clinic as they piled on 25 goals while conceding only nine.
The stand-out term was the second when it booted 10 majors without a miss.
Glencoe has posted more goals in a single term during its 123-year history but never against an opponent whose previous match had been a grand final.
The 2022 runners-up had a bye in the opening round and then four players were unavailable for round two owing to a teammate’s wedding at a Southern Vales winery.
Hatherleigh had shot out of the blocks with a goal at the 20-second mark of the first term.
Star Eagles recruit and ex-AFL player Tom Hutchesson was gathering possessions at will.
However, a calf injury forced him to the sidelines and he took no further part in the game.
Glencoe took control and was 16 points ahead at the first change.
The fate of the match was sealed after that explosive second term of the Murphies.
Glencoe players could do little wrong with Tory Weaver a stand-out with nine goals.
Hatherleigh hosts Kongorong on Saturday while Glencoe has the bye.
Port MacDonnell def. Kongorong
The Bruce Lightbody Memorial Shield is back at the Bay for at least another 12 months following Port MacDonnell’s 30-point win at Kongorong.
The trophy honours the memory of the one-time Kongorong Football Club president and was instituted in the year of his death in 1985.
It was last won by Kongorong in 2009.
The 2023 team has up to 11 new players and a tardy start proved costly for them.
The home team managed only one goal in the opening term while conceding six.
There was little inroad made on that margin in the remaining three terms but Kongorong did narrowly outscore the Bay Boys in the final term.
Visiting “twin towers “Tim Sullivan and Will Macdonald did well for the victors while the umpires nominated busy Kongorong on-baller Matt Cordy as best-on-ground and recipient of the John Rogers Memorial Medal.
In her post-match address following the trophy presentations, Kongorong Football Club president Amanda Sealey referred to the large crowd and improved facilities at the ground including new toilets, digital scoreboard and gatekeepers’ hut.
“The SANFL should be here to see this,” Ms Sealey said.
“This is what country football is all about.”
Port MacDonnell welcomes Robe to the Bay on Saturday while Kongorong heads to Hatherleigh.
