AFL Outer East: Beaconsfield jumps to third after edging Woori Yallock in wet weather slog
Beaconsfield coach Leigh McQuillan shuffled the whiteboard magnets at halftime and the Eagles responded to win a wet weather arm wrestle
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Beaconsfield jumped to third on the Premier Division ladder after holding sway in a wet weather classic against Woori Yallock at Holm Park on Saturday.
The Tigers led by three goals at halftime before a four-goal third term gave the Eagles a narrow lead at the final change of ends.
The arm wrestle was all-square at the 18-minute mark of the final term after a Woori Yallock goal but Boadie Motton bobbed up with what was to be the winner a minute later and the Eagles saluted 7.13 (55) to 6.12 (48).
Beaconsfield coach Leigh McQuillan said Woori Yallock’s bigger bodies handled the wet conditions far better in the early going, forcing him to shuffle the whiteboard magnets at halftime.
“We changed heaps,” he said. “Half our side hadn’t had much of the footy in their positions. We’ve tried to bring versatility to our side instead of pigeonholing the guys.”
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Beaconsfield banked goals from seven different scorers while Jack Griffiths, Ryan Bromley and Brad Homfray drove the Eagles to the win.
Zach Monkhorst, Kane Thompson, Hayden Smith and Jake Matthews (three goals) almost got the Tigers over the line.
“When you talk about an eight-point game, that was the epitome of it,” McQuillan said. “It was massive for us. We lose that one and we go eight points behind them (Woori Yallock).”
This week, Beaconsfield faces a season-defining clash with Cranbourne at home.
Cranbourne jumped Upwey Tecoma early on Saturday, kicking six first-quarter goals to lead by 40 points at the first change, on the way to a 17.13 (115) to 3.4 (22) win. Thomas Marks, Jake Cowburn and Corey Ellison kicked three goals each with Bailey Buntine best afield.
Kyle Grenda kicked two goals for Upwey Tecoma while Thomas Holland, Liam O’Brien and Glenn Costas battled gamely.
Wandin and Olinda Ferny Creek slugged out a thriller at Wandin with the Bulldogs holding on by less than a straight kick.
The Bulldogs opened a 40-point lead at quarter-time, after a seven-goal first quarter, but the Bloods continued to chip away.
In the final quarter Olinda Ferny Creek kicked 3.4, while holding Wandin to just two behinds but fell short, 13.9 (87) to 11.16 (82).
Justin Van Unen kicked six for Wandin while Dylan Wilson, James Belli and Brodie Currie engineered the Olinda fightback
Healesville had the week off for the bye while the Berwick v Narre Narre Warren clash was played as a standalone season-opener on April 6.
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