Donvale scores a 17-point win over Warrandyte to post its first victory of the Eastern Football League season

A FIVE-goal haul from star forward Nick Murphy helped Donvale to a 17-point victory over Warrandyte, giving the Magpies their first win of the season.

Nick Murphy celebrates a goal. Picture: George Salpigtidis

A FIVE-goal haul from star forward Nick Murphy helped Donvale to a 17-point victory over Warrandyte, giving the Magpies their first win of the season on Saturday.

After leading by just a goal at halftime in a low-scoring slog at Donvale Reserve, the Magpies finished with an 8.12 (60) to 7.1 (43) victory to post their first win since last year’s Division 4 grand final.

Despite his handful of goals, Donvale could not find a place for Murphy in its list of best players.

“I think he took his opportunities really well on Saturday and didn’t really notice him throughout the game but you look at the end of the game and he has kicked five, that’s typical Murph for you,” Donvale coach Matt Fife said.

“He didn’t have a lot of the ball on Saturday, he didn’t get up the ground as much as he usually does.

“He might have had six or seven kicks for the day but kicked five and that shows the quality of player that he is.”

Donvale introduced junior product Harry Giles and recruits Tyler Haugh (Caulfield Grammarians) and Mark Steele (La Trobe University) for their first games, each acquitting themselves well in their maiden appearances for the Magpies.

With premiership players Karl Toce, James Rausa, Dave Withers and Kyle Wignell set to return from injury in the coming weeks, Fife remained optimistic Donvale would make a successful transition to Division 3 based on his side’s first two outings.

“We know we’ve got a heap of improvement in us, we’ve got a lot of kids we are playing at the moment and each game that goes by, they’re just getting better and more confident,” he said.

“That’s been our model the past couple of years to bring those guys through and watch them improve.

“If we can get on a bit of a roll with injecting players back each week over the next four to six weeks, we’re hopefully going to build some momentum and challenge those teams up the top.”