South Barwon respond emphatically with barnstorming second-half to record 94-point win over Bell Park

After being blown off the park in the second half last week, South Barwon inflicted the same damage to another top-five side. And a star also responded after being dropped.

South Barwon's Ben Kellett celebrates a goal. Picture: Mike Dugdale

South Barwon was pantsed in the second half by its bogey team Leopold last week.

Leading at halftime, the Swans went on to concede 14 goals to two in the second half as the Lions ran out 74-point victors.

Seven days later, it was South Barwon who inflicted that destructive damage on another top-five side in Bell Park, piling on 12 goals to two after the main break to win 19.22 (136) to 6.6 (42) and push themselves into fifth spot.

The Swans had showed signs of their dominance before that without making it count on the scoreboard, skipping out to a 25-point lead at halftime after kicking 4.6 to 1.0 in the second term.

But they really put the foot down after that to show that their best can challenge any side in September, with livewire Jonty Broughton responding to his axing last week with five-goals in an inspired display.

The win means the Swans could leapfrog Bell Park in the last two games of the season with the Dragons needing a win to stay ahead of them and sixth-placed Colac.

South Barwon's Fraser Fort congratulates Jonty Broughton. Picture: Mike Dugdale

South Barwon coach Mark Neeld said there wasn’t an explicit focus on avenging last week’s disappointing second half, but they were able to maintain the rage for longer.

“We didn’t do anything different to what we were doing in the first half, that is really what we did,” Neeld said.

“The week before that we were taught a football lesson by Leopold, where they were able to sustain their intensity for the full four quarters, we could only do it for a half.

“The players themselves came up with a few target areas they wanted to focus on in each quarter, so that’s what we did. It was nothing along the lines of ‘come out, be harder’ and that sort of stuff.

“It was more ‘let’s break it down, lets be realistic, tell us what that looks like’, let’s focus on a couple of actions’. And that’s what we did and they were able to do that in the second half.

Coach Mark Neeld felt it was their best team effort for the year and said Broughton’s performance — his first game back in the senior side after playing a game in the reserves —was about more than just the goals.

“Particularly in the second half we found it really difficult to identify who the best players were, and when that happens I think that is an indication that everybody’s contributed,” Neeld said.

“We felt that on Saturday, for four quarters, it was probably the first time for the year that we’ve sat back and gone, ‘OK, everybody is playing pretty well here’.

“The goals are obviously an outcome, (Broughton) worked really hard yesterday and that’s great to see. He will certainly be pleased with his efforts and I’m full aware that his teammates were grateful for how hard he worked.”

Bell Park's Ollie Bridgewater takes a strong mark in defence. Picture: Mike Dugdale

South Barwon has the chance to advance as cement a finals spot with winnable clashes against Newtown & Chillwell and Geelong West to come, requiring wins in both to avoid being overtaken by Colac.

The Tigers are behind on percentage with Geelong West and difficult final round match-up against St Joseph’s to come.

Bell Park sits one win ahead of South Barwon and Colac in fourth and the Dragons can seal a finals berth themselves with a win over Grovedale next week.

Regardless of how things go in the next fortnight, the Swans will be taking a long-term approach.

“Our focus is on developing a method of play and trying to perfect that. You never perfect it but you try to get closer to what that looks like,” Neeld said.

“We’ll just see how it goes, I know it is an old school comment but it is actually real: the ladder just tells you how you went.

“So if we go well enough to make finals, the ladder will reflect that, and if we need to get better in certain areas then we won’t play finals.”

Originally published as South Barwon respond emphatically with barnstorming second-half to record 94-point win over Bell Park