Around the grounds: Ovens and Murray retains Ash-Wilson Trophy
Wangaratta young gun Joe Richards helped the O and M take down GV during a weekend of country footy action. Catch up on the highlights.
Wangaratta young gun Joe Richards had ample opportunity to take the weekend off rather than represent the Ovens and Murray against arch-rival Goulburn Valley on Saturday, but playing against the league’s longstanding rival was too tempting for the 24-year-old.
Richards’ club sits on top of the ladder, undefeated, and is hot favourite to bury the demons of back-to-back grand final losses in 2018 and 2019.
He was also forced sit out a match two weeks ago with a hamstring niggle.
“I did my hamstring a couple of weeks ago and I made sure I got a game in before interleague,” said Richards, who finished runner-up by one vote to Wangaratta teammate Callum Moore in last year’s Morris Medal.
“I love the speed of these games, wanted to test myself against GV and made sure I put my hand up.”
The O and M team, which retained the Ash-Wilson Trophy with a commanding 55-point win, was sprinkled with young talent as a host of high-profile players made themselves unavailable.
Richards, Albury trio Riley Bice, Fletcher Carroll and Michael Duncan, and Wodonga Raiders teenage speedster Max Beattie lit up the pitch from the first bounce.
Isaac Muller, who also plays for the winless Wodonga Raiders, was a dominant force in the ruck in an overall performance that delighted O and M coach Damian Sexton.
“These games provide an opportunity for these young players to challenge themselves,” he said.
“We had some seasoned campaigners who couldn’t play.
“But you saw today some seasoned campaigners who did play and young blokes playing their first game.
“It’s exciting to see them consistent for four quarters.
“We didn’t have a passenger and that is why we won by what we did.”
Experienced Yarrawonga forward Leigh Williams finished with five goals and Wangaratta Rovers duo Alex Marklew and Tom Boyd kicked three goals.
The O and M’s pace, pressure and polished ball use was a constant source of concern for the GV.
Kyabram’s Lachlan Smith booted his four goals for the match all in the third term after starting the match in defence, and Echuca dasher Ben Reid provided plenty of rebound off halfback.
.â¦@omfnlâ© coach Damian Sexton speaking at last change with team right on top. â¦@theweeklytimesâ© pic.twitter.com/rzxyxlrt4r
— David Johnston (@david_johnston5) May 28, 2022
GV coach Paul Newman said the O and M deserved its win.
“They were excellent,” he said.
“They had a couple of big boys up forward who were a handful and they moved the ball really well.
“We were in the game for a long time, but they got hold of us at the end.”
The O and M also won the under-18s match, 14.9 (93) to 11.8 (74).
Wodonga’s Josh Mathey, who was in contention for a senior game, was judged best on ground for the O and M.
MATCH DETAILS
OVENS AND MURRAY 4.2 7.6 13.9 18.11 (119)
GOULBURN VALLEY 1.2 4.4 8.5 9.10 (64)
Goals: OVENS AND MURRAY: Williams 5, Marklew 3, Boyd 3, Beattie 2, J. Conlan 2, Bradtke 2, Bice. GOULBURN VALLEY: Smith 4, Stroobants 2, Keogh, Ryan, Herbert.
Best: OVENS AND MURRAY: Richards, Muller, Bice, Carroll, Williams, Duncan, Van Berlo. GOULBURN VALLEY: Smith, Keogh, Marks, Hutchins, Reid, Norris.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
FORMER Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron has been named in the centre of a star-studded Mininera District league Team-of-the-Century.
Cameron, originally from Caramut, played 256 AFL matches with Footscray and Richmond before taking over the GWS senior coaching job from the club’s inaugural coach Kevin Sheedy in 2013.
Triple Richmond premiership player David Astbury from Tatyoon, who retired at the end of last season, was named at fullback alongside the only player in the team presently playing at AFL level, Fremantle’s Lloyd Meek.
Meek played for SMW Rovers with the team also containing a Brownlow Medallist, St Kilda’s Brian Gleeson, and dual VFL premiership players from the 1950s, Geelong’s Bill McMaster and Melbourne’s Terry Gleeson.
Brain and Terry are brothers and played for Willaura.
The Team-of-the-Century announcement coincided with the release of a book, Mighty Mininera League.
Written by Kel Murray and edited by Karen McIntyre, the book traces the league’s 100-year history.
THE TEAM OF THE CENTURY
B: Chris Dalkin (Tatyoon), David Astbury (Tatyoon), Lloyd Meek (SMW Rovers)
HB: Keith Park (Lake Bolac), Brian Gleeson (Willaura), Mark Dreher (Willaura)
C: Graeme Linke (Hawkesdale), Leon Cameron (Caramut), Phil Walsh (Glenthompson)
HF: Gerry Brennan (Willaura), Colin Eales (Penshurst), Les Meek (Streatham)
F: Terry Gleeson (Willaura), David McCulloch (Glenthompson), Stuart Atkin (SMW Rovers)
FOLL: Bill McMaster (Lake Bolac), Col Graham (Lake Bolac), Jim Jenkinson (Glenthompson)
INTER: Graeme Moyle (Dunkeld), Lindsay Cooke (Dunkeld), Greg Faull (SMW Rovers)
OMEO AND DISTRICT
OMEO-Benambra has celebrated a reunion of the 1991-92 premierships won by Omeo with a 12-point win against arch rival Swifts Creek on Saturday.
The back-to-back flags were coached by Gerard Ogilvie with Omeo winning two more flags in 1995-96 before merging with Benambra.
The winning margin against Swifts Creek on Saturday was the same margin Omeo won the two flags in 1991-92.
Brendan Ah Sam, who played in the two flags being celebrated, was presented with a life membership of the Omeo and District league as part of the weekend’s festivities.
Omeo won a league record 34 flags before the merger with Benambra.
Omeo-Benambra sits second on the ladder behind undefeated Lindenow South.
OVENS AND KING
BENALLA All Blacks is well placed to break their flag drought in the Ovens and King league after another impressive win on Saturday against Greta by 37 points.
All Blacks have only played in one grand final since joining the league when beaten by Glenrowan which has since folded.
The latest win puts a one game and a big percentage gap between All Blacks and second placed Bonnie Doon.
Al Jacka, Riley Moran and James Webster all played well in the win against Greta.
Milawa, which won the 2019 grand final and was unbeaten last year when the season ended prematurely, has slipped to fourth on the ladder.
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