Goulburn Valley: Williamstown recruit Corey Rich a big boost for Mansfield
GV flag favourite Echuca suddenly has a serious challenger in Mansfield. Find out where the improvement has come from late in the year.
Mansfield has loomed as a late season threat to raging Goulburn Valley league favourites Echuca with finals starting in a fortnight.
The late season addition of Williamstown midfielder Corey Rich and the consistency of ruckman Tom McDonagh is helping drive Mansfield to a top two finish after a crucial 14-point win against Mooroopna on Saturday.
Rich has played 12 VFL games for Williamstown and needs to play at least one more game for Mansfield in the last two rounds to qualify for the GV finals.
“He’s a beauty,” Mansfield coach Chad Owens said of the goalkicking midfielder who booted three against Mooroopna.
Rich played with Mansfield teammates, Cam Arnold and Jack Hutchins, in the Northern Territory league over summer with Waratahs.
Arnold booted four goals early in the game against Mooroopna and Hutchins restricted mid-season signing Jackson Trengove to one goal.
Owens said the form of McDonangh, who was recruited from Ovens and Murray league club Myrtleford, was also a big factor in Mansfield’s surge up the ladder.
“He has been massive for us all year,” Owens said.
“He is an undersized ruckman, but he just runs and runs, competes, works players over.”
Owens is in his second season as coach of Mansfield which can lock in a top two finish by beating Kyabram and Tatura in the last two games.
Mooroopna finds itself in the hot seat needing to win the last two games against Euroa and Echuca to be guaranteed of playing finals.
Echuca is two games clear of Mansfield on the ladder after finishing on top last year when the season was cut short by Covid.
Mansfield hasn’t won a flag since 2009 and Echuca’s premiership drought goes further back to 2001-02.
OVENS AND MURRAY
Lavington has emerged as an unlikely Ovens and Murray league finalist with a shock 13-point win against Albury on Saturday.
The 2019 premiers have endured a mass exodus of players since their flag win three years ago.
But Lavington has moved into the top five with two rounds to play after coming from behind at halftime to outscore Albury seven goals to five in the second half.
A brilliant three-goal burst from former Melbourne and Carlton goal sneak Jeff Garlett in the second term put Albury narrowly in front at halftime.
Lavington, coached by 2005 Sydney Swans premiership player Adam Schneider, clicked in the third quarter with Ben Ashley-Cooper booting two of his three goals for the match in the second half.
Luke Garland, one of the few remaining 2019 premiership players still in the team, played his best match for the season and kicked a clutch goal late.
Recent additions Shaun Driscoll and Will Glanvill were also prominent and Jack Harland caught the precision kicking from the backline.
Driscoll, who formerly played for Wagga Tigers, came to the O and M to play for Albury last year, but switched to Lavington when he was unable to force his way into the strong Albury line-up.
He also kicked a late goal to help seal the Lavington victory.
In a further injury blow for Albury, veteran onballer Daniel Cross injured his hamstring and joined teammates Fletcher Carroll and Jake Gaynor, who are presently injured, in a race against time to be fit for finals.
Lavington jumped to fourth spot on the ladder ahead of Wangaratta Rovers in fifth spot and Myrtleford, which dropped out of the five with a costly loss to Wodonga.
Lavington plays flag favourites Wangaratta and ninth-placed Wodonga Raiders in the last two games.
UPPER MURRAY
Federal was forced to forfeit its last round match against Bullioh on Saturday, but has still qualified for finals starting next weekend.
Four players from Federal headed north for a weeks’ holiday and with other players unavailable the club made the decision to forfeit late Friday.
“It’s nearly our starting midfield and with a few other things going on we only had nine or 10 players available,” Federal co-coach Daryn McKimmie said.
After facing the prospect of folding on the eve of the season, Federal took its place in the senior draw with a first up win against Corryong being one of only two victories for the year.
But Federal will still play finals in the five-team competition with Corryong, which has won only one game, missing out.
Federal and Bullioh will meet again in the first semi-final next Saturday.
Tumbarumba finished on top of the ladder and is the premiership favourite.
Cudgewa thrashed Corryong by 162 points with Nick Brockley kicking 14 goals for the victors.
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