St Mary’s defeat Colac 72-points as dominant Saints prove unstoppable

It promised to be the game of the round. Instead, it was a one-sided affair that ended in a thumping as St Mary’s showed its collective dominance.

St Mary's notched a strong win over Colac. Picture: Mark Wilson

When Colac burst out of the blocks with two goals in the first five minutes, it looked like we had a serious game on our hands.

But what promised to be the game of the round quickly became a one-sided affair, highlighting the gap between St Mary’s, St Joseph’s and their finals challengers at this stage of the season.

The Tigers won the first six clearances of the match with the breeze but the Saints managed to fight back to make it a one-point quarter-time deficit.

Colac should have led by more at quarter-time after some misses in front of goal, and its inaccuracy proved even more costly when St Mary’s made every opportunity account in a blistering second quarter surge.

After Colac regained the lead in the second quarter, the Saints kicked five unanswered goals and just one behind in 14 minutes as they took a 27-point lead into halftime.

Harry Benson won plenty of the ball. Picture: Mark Wilson

Colac was unlucky that a downpour hit Anthony Costa Oval in a third quarter stalemate, where the Tigers broke even until a late Lachy Peck goal on the stroke of three-quarter time.

As the rain cleared, the final quarter resembled a training drill as the Saints – and the breeze – blew Colac away.

St Mary’s piled on nine goals to three as the swift Saints moved the ball from one end to another with frightening ease, constantly looking to take the game on and doing so successfully.

It was party time Saints with Jesse Travaglini the major beneficiary, rewarded with final-quarter goals.

He was one of seven players who kicked multiple goals in the Saints’ 72-point win – Brayden Ham slotted three, while Sam Dobson, Noah Biggs, Ty Williams and Damian McMahon each scored two.

Dominant midfield trio Jarryd Garner, Harry Benson and Jack Blood ran rampant through the midfield, convincing beating Colac’s strong centre-bounce outfit.

GFNL leading goalkicker Adam Garner was a serious threat up forward yet again for Colac and finished with the four goals – that would have been more had he kicked straight.

Adam Garner kicks a goal was strong for Colac. Picture: Mark Wilson

He was one of just five individual goalkickers for the Tigers, compared to the Saints’ 11. Colac young gun Tobyn Murray kicked 10 goals in the previous fortnight but was held goalless by the Saints.

St Mary’s has so many weapons across the ground and they seem to play well every single week – doing the best must be a nightmare for co-coaches Luke Rayner and Glenn Keast.

“That’s the beauty of our team, we are just getting such an even contribution across the board. I felt Sprague was really important to us down back, Nick Connors was really important to us down back, Sam Christensen did a good job on Garner,” Rayner said.

“Then you go into the midfield brigade you’ve got (Jarryd) Garner, (Blood and Benson who continue to lead the way, (Joe) Maishman had a great last quarter, Travaglini finishes with a great last quarter, Ham finishes with a great last quarter.”

“Colac brought their game early and it certainly got us on the hop. They were out of the blocks and we sort of weren’t able to touch the footy early.

“Apart from being a bit flat early in the first quarter and early in the third quarter our boys I thought were predominantly able to play how we wanted to play and control the game in that respect.”

The Saints are now a win clear in second after Bell Park’s loss to South Barwon, with Colac dropping to sixth despite boasting a 6-3 record and a strong percentage of 142.4.

The only downside for St Mary’s was another hamstring setback for Elijah Wales.

Rayner said it was only minor injury but he is set to miss at least the next fortnight.

Elijah Wales kicked an early goal but suffered a hamstring injury. Picture: Mark Wilson

LINGY’S BACK

The Saints were already home, but teammates flocked to Harry Ling after he kicked a set shot in the final quarter.

Ling was playing his first game back in the seniors since round three.

He had arrived for his fifth season of footy in three years with St Mary’s – only two of those were up north in the NTFL with the club of the same namesake.

After rejoining the boys in March, Ling played the first two matches of the GFNL season but the footy fatigued Saint opted to take a break.

He returned in the reserves and played two matches there before earning his spot again in the ones.

“I think he just struck the first couple of games of the year and just felt he was pretty flat and not really in the right headspace and physically ready to enjoy the year ahead,” Rayner said.

“He had a bit of an indefinite break from the game, he had a month away from it. He has come back and played in the reserves and he has warranted his elevation back into the senior group.”

Originally published as St Mary’s defeat Colac 72-points as dominant Saints prove unstoppable