AFL Outer-East rep coach Nick Rutley says league must learn lessons from hefty defeat at the hands of Bendigo

The AFL Outer East’s debut at interleague level was a memorable one on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

AFL Outer East rep coach Nick Rutley says lessons must be learned from Saturday’s hefty loss to Bendigo Picture: James Ross

The AFL Outer East’s debut at interleague level was a memorable one on Saturday.

But, unfortunately, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons as an accomplished Bendigo outfit ran the visitors off their feet at the Queen Elizabeth Oval on the way to a 99-point win, 18.17 (125) to 3.8 (26).

If not for a Matthew Homfray goal in the dying minutes, the margin would have spilt over into triple-figures

Rep coach Nick Rutley said Bendigo’s bigger bodies and lightning ball movement overwhelmed an AFL Outer-East side that was already half a dozen players down through injuries to key personnel prior to the opening bounce.

But it was the Bendigo league’s approach to representative footy that proved the biggest difference, according to Rutley.

“They were just so much better,” Rutley said. “The whole way they run their rep program.

“They got together in October and they had full buy-in from their clubs and their players.

“We came together as a new league and we’ve got a lot to learn. The mindset has to change or we’ll keep dishing up results like that.”

Rutley has suggested a better option for the championships might be to play the games during February or March so clubs would welcome an intense pre-season hitout for some of their stars rather than five weeks into a busy campaign.

He also said, should he be given the role again next season, he would “vary his approach” and “start building relationships with clubs a lot earlier.”

Bendigo had a 25-point lead at quarter-time but worse was to follow as the home side unleashed a barrage of half a dozen goals in less than a quarter-hour early in the second term.

Olinda Ferny Creek’s Marcus Hottes snapped his side’s first major but Bendigo replied with another three and opened an unassailable 10-goal margin at the half.

Cranbourne’s Brandon Osborne was AFL Outer-East’s best. Picture: Chris Eastman

The gap had grown to 74 points by three-quarter time as the Outer East went to its last huddle before the long bus trip home with just one goal to its name.

Cranbourne’s Luke Bree-Hugo doubled Outer-East’s goal tally but there was still an endless flood of traffic in the other direction and the margin soon went past the century mark. Homfray’s late goal brought a sigh of relief from the visiting contingent and heralded the final siren soon after.

“I gave them a little bit of a whack at halftime, there was personal pride at stake,” Rutley said. “And we looked a lot better after that. We moved the ball a lot better, we just couldn’t hit on the scoreboard. Our ball movement and their ball movement was worlds apart.”

Cranbourne’s Brandon Osborne earned the medal as Outer-East’s best afield while his co-captain Hottes, the Berwick pair of Tim Gunn and William Arthurson, Wandin’s Patrick Bruzzese and Woori Yallock bigman Zach Monkhorst did their level best against the overwhelming odds.

MORE AFL COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIPS NEWS

Northern league is on top of the world

Southern league’s scoreboard debacle

AFL Outer East gets set for debut

Rutley was full of praise for the courageous games from his two leaders, Osborne and Hottes.

“At one stage we had 15 clearances and I reckon Hottes had nine of them,” he said. “I couldn’t fault them. And Tim Gunn got better as the game went on.”

Rutley also praised the home side’s hospitality.

“They were terrific hosts, the facility, everything,” he said. “After the game we had a bite to eat and a few drinks. (Bendigo coach) Darryl Wilson is a ripping bloke and so experienced, we talked about rep footy.”

In other games at Bendigo on Saturday, the under-18 clash ended in a 9.5 (59) to 6.13 (49) win for the hosts while the open netball went Bendigo’s way 55-40.

The Northern Football League defeated the Geelong Football League by 24 points, 12.14 (86) to 8.14 (62), at Queens Park in Geelong to claim the mantle as the state’s best league.