No luck needed as Aberfeldie crushes previously unbeaten Avondale Heights in EDFL

ABERFELDIE coach Mal Michael thought his side would be lucky to get close to Avondale Heights on Saturday. The final result was one that shocked everyone.

Aberfeldie players sing the team song after their win over Avondale Heights in the Essendon District Football League Premier Division on Saturday.

HEADING into Saturday’s match with Avondale Heights, Aberfeldie coach Mal Michael had conceded his side was going to “need a bit of luck” to even get close.

The Heights had taken EDFL Premier Division by storm in the opening 11 rounds of the season and remained unbeaten with an average winning margin of 45 points.

Within the opening three minutes, the hot premiership favourite had two goals on the board and the signs were looking ominous.

But against the odds the Abers went on to win the home match at Clifton Park by 81 points in a powerful display that showed they are still very much in the premiership race.

“I’ve always said our best is good enough, we just can’t have long periods of poor play which is what’s cost us this year,” Michael said.

“I thought that in the last 20 minutes the game blew open a bit but I was just really pleased with the way the guys went about it.

“We needed to have a good performance but more importantly our season hinged on the result.”

Kicking against the breeze in the opening term, Aberfeldie trailed by just four points at the first change which it considered a win.

Abers was then able capitalised on the advantage of kicking with the wind, putting on seven unanswered goals before going on to control the second half.

Mark Blake dominated the hit-outs to give the home side’s on-ballers first use of the ball and Kyle Reimers (six goals) and Courtney Johns (five) were on fire

Johns had four goals to his name by half-time while Reimers’ haul was his best of the season.

Up the other end, the powerful Heights forward duo of Dean Galea (four goals) and Patrick Rose (two) were well held but were limited by a lack of ball reaching the side’s forward 50 after quarter-time as Aberfeldie got on top.

While disappointed, Avondale Heights coach Saade Ghazi said his side would not dwell on the loss.

“We were never going to win every game if anyone was thinking that,” he said.

“They were too good for us and that’s the competition.

“If you don’t turn up and play well enough you’ll get beaten by anyone, it doesn’t matter who it is.”