Riddell holds Diggers Rest goalless in stunning top-of-the-table demolition

Riddell coach Arron Bray’s phone was blowing up on Saturday night with people not believing the score in the top-of-the-table win over Diggers Rest.

Jacob Chahine takes a mark for Riddell. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Riddell coach Arron Bray’s phone blew up on Saturday night.

Friends, family and rival coaches didn’t believe what they were seeing – reigning premier Diggers Rest held goalless for an entire match.

But it was true, the Bombers had produced one of the all-time RDFNL performances to claim a stunning 91-point win.

A top-of-the-table clash, a likely grand final preview, will long be remembered but for very different reasons as Riddell triumphed 14.10 (94) to 0.3 (3) at Riddell’s Creek Reserve.

The Bombers’ day made all the more memorable as the reserves kept the Burras scoreless for the entire match.

Bryce Williamson gets a kick for Riddell. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Bray believed his players quickly adapted to the conditions and controlled the territory.

“My phone was running pretty hot with coaches from around the comp asking the same thing,” Bray said.

“I think we just played the conditions better than what they did to be honest.

“We were first to the footy and there weren’t too many areas of the ground we didn’t win.

“We won it at the coal-face, our midfielders kept the ball going our way.

“On a heavy track, once you’ve got territory it’s hard to get it out and our forward pressure was pretty good.”

In difficult conditions, Riddell took a nine-point lead into quarter-time before exploding in the second term.

The Bombers broke the game open with a four-goal quarter to open up a 34-point advantage at half-time.

Diggers Rest had only scored one behind in each of the first two quarters but were then held scoreless in the third as the home team charged away to a 48-point lead.

Holding a comfortable lead, Riddell didn’t take the foot off the accelerator.

The Bombers piling on seven goals in a devastating final burst to put the cherry on top a brutal display.

“That’s one thing we’ve been looking for, trying to get a four-quarter performance,” Bray said.

“We haven’t really done it all year so I suppose if you’re going to do it that’s the day.

“Three or four weeks out from finals, if you can start to play your best footy it’s a good time.”

Ben Sonogan was named best-on-ground, taking a series of intercept marks to keep Riddell on the front foot.

Matt Darby (three goals), Dylan Tarczon and Tommy Alkemade also impressed.

“Ben played really well, he found himself behind the ball,” Bray said.

“They went up chasing the footy and Sugar got to sit behind, so every time they dump-kicked the ball out we had a good set-up.

“Darbs was really good considering the conditions, for a 6’4 fellas he was really clean below the knees.

“He’s such a mobile centre half-forward that he can blow up his opposition and he got a lick of the ice-cream, which was good.”

For Diggers, Jordan Theodore was best afield, while Rylan Mullen, Mitch Brockwell and Shaun Campbell stood tall.

The result sees Riddell move two games clear at the top of the ladder and all but secure the minor premiership and a bye in week one of finals.

However, Bray said it would count for little should the two teams square off again in September.

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“They’ll be hurting from that, we certainly won’t be taking anything lightly with Diggers,” he said.

“They’re a proud club and I probably wouldn’t want to be playing them this week.”

Diggers Rest will look to bounce back against Kyneton when it hosts the Tigers at Bloomdale Oval.

Elsewhere, Romsey eased past Lancefield by 33 points, Wallan defeated Macedon by 40 points and Woodend-Hesket trumped Melton Centrals by 17 points.