Goulburn Valley, Hampden, Hume: Port Fairy stuns top team South Warrnambool
Flag favourites had a tough weekend in the Goulburn Valley, Hampden and Hume leagues. See who downed reigning premiers.
Victoria
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Echuca has suffered its first defeat in the Goulburn Valley league since the final home-and-away match of last season, with Seymour storming home late to win by 12 points on Saturday.
The Lions led by only one point at three-quarter time before slamming on three goals to one in the final term to beat the reigning premiers, and join Kyabram as a major threat to Echuca winning back-to-back flags.
Lachie Waite, Tom Davey and Josh Alford kicked the crucial Lions goals in the final term to join Echuca and Kyabram with 9-1 win-loss records at the halfway mark of the season.
Seymour’s only loss this season was by one point to Kyabram in round 7.
The Lions’ 2021 Morrison Medal winner Jack O’Sullivan was best-on-ground with Nathan Beattie and Ricky Schraven also in the best.
Echuca lost to Mooroopna in round 18 last year before eventually beating Euroa in the grand final.
The Murray Bombers were without the services of star player Sam Willoughby, who played his third match at VFL level this year with Western Bulldogs.
HAMPDEN
Port Fairy produced a stunning 27-point upset win against ladder leader South Warrnambool.
The Seagulls are coming off a disastrous season when they finished bottom of the ladder and had to forfeit a senior match.
They didn’t win a game this season until round 4, but the shock win against South was their third in a row and the resurgents Seagulls, coached by Dustin McCorkell, are suddenly an outside chance of playing finals.
Port Fairy produced a brilliant first quarter when it kicked 5.1 with the breeze and held South scoreless.
The Seagulls also failed to score in the second term, but crucially their defence held South to only 1.2 and maintained a 23-point lead at halftime.
Both teams kicked three goals in the second half with Isaac Martin, who played only two games last year, and Tyson Macilwain, who has made a comeback this season after last playing in 2019, starring for the Seagulls.
Captain Matthew Sully was also among the best players.
HUME
Rand-Walbundrie-Walla breathed some fresh life into the season by downing reigning premiers Holbrook by 16 points.
The Giants were coming off a surprise last round defeat to Brock-Burrum Saints and the Brookers had crushed bottom-placed Murray Magpies by 230 points on the same day.
But form went out the window when the Giants led by 27 points at quarter time and incredibly kept the talented Brookers line-up goalless for three quarters.
Nathan Wardius, one of the league’s brightest prospects, kicked two goals either side of the quarter time break to put the Giants on the road to one of its best wins under the coaching of Daniel Athanitis.
Brian Lieschke was superb in the ruck and Nick and Tom Kohlhagen were unstoppable with their run on the big Walbundrie ground.
Holbrook remains second on the ladder behind undefeated Osborne and the Giants drew level on six wins, three losses with Howlong and CDHBU, which both suffered losses to Lockhart and Brock-Burrum respectively.
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Originally published as Goulburn Valley, Hampden, Hume: Port Fairy stuns top team South Warrnambool
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