Ovens & Murray, North Central, Murray: Wang Rovers kick clear to beat big improvers North Albury
Wangaratta Rovers have suffered a big injury setback in their latest win in the Ovens and Murray league.
Wangaratta Rovers have paid a heavy price for their runaway 40-point win against North Albury in the Ovens & Murray league on Saturday with coach Sam Murray facing a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
After squandering chances to put the game beyond the league’s big improver in the first quarter, the Rovers made certain of the result by banging on seven goals to three in the final term.
They stay second on the ladder behind Yarrawonga with both teams sharing a 6-0 start to the season.
But a major downer on the day came when Murray limped off in the third quarter and took no further part in the game.
Murray has slotted back into the midfield this season and was again one of the Rovers’s best players before the injury setback.
He will definitely miss next round against Wodonga, which beat Albury for the first time since 2017, and may not be back until the King’s Birthday weekend blockbuster against Yarrawonga, which inflicted more pain on Wodonga Raiders with a 136-point walloping.
A strong breeze spoiled the match as a spectacle, but Rovers were clearly the better team with Tom Boyd a star in defence and Werribee VFL player Nathan Cooper booting five goals in his first O&M appearance this year.
North Albury coach Tim Broomhead was checked closely all match by Lockey McCartney.
Albury has slipped to fifth, only a game clear of Wangaratta and Lavington.
Wodonga led by 15 points at halftime despite going into the match without key midfielder Josh Mathey due to a hamstring injury which has him in some doubt for the interleague match against Goulburn Valley in a fortnight.
Matt Wilson was best-on-ground with five goals for Wodonga and co-coach Jack O’Sullivan produced another starring role with 34 possessions.
NORTH CENTRAL
Reigning premiers Sea Lake-Nandaly is defyinging a long list of injuries to stay firmly in the race for back-to–back premierships following a 28-point win against Nullawil in the grand final replay.
The Tigers have topliners Trent Donnan, Austin Mertz and John Summerhayes on the sidelines with mid to long-term injuries in a hotly contested season with multiple flag contenders.
But Sea Lake-Nandaly doubled its winning margin over Nullawil in the grand final with former AFL forward Josh Jenkins starring with nine goals.
Jenkins was uncharacteristically off-target in the grand final last year, but Nullawil and his direct opponent, former Fremantle player Peter Faulks, had no answers on Saturday.
Nullawil trailed by only 13 points at three quarter time, but the Tigers dominated the final term with Luke Martin, Lachie McClelland and Chaise Tait all among the best players.
Former AFL player Adam Pattison played his first match since 2017 for Sea Lake-Nandaly.
Nullawil, tipped to be one of the flag contenders this season, has only one win for the season and sits two games behind third and fourth placed Wedderburn and Donald.
MURRAY
Finley has brought Congupna’s dream start to the season to an end with a nine-point win headlined by a six-goal haul to Tom Lang and a starring role from Jack Sexton on the comeback trail from injury.
Congupna, last year’s runner-up to Mulwala in the grand final, had been the only undefeated team heading into round 6 and Finley battling a long list of injuries including star recruit Mark Whiley.
Finley whittled Congupna’s lead back to one point at the last change and kicked clear in the last term with four goals to two to record its best win since knocking off reigning premiers Mulwala in round 3.
Lang matched the six goals he kicked against Mulwala and Sexton had close to 40 possessions and booted three goals in his first match since injuring his shoulder playing for Southport in the VFL in late March.
Despite beating both 2023 grand finalists, Finley is sitting seventh on the ladder, but is one of five teams with 4-2 records behind Congupna and Moama at 5-1.
Cobram, which beat Finley easily in round 2, sits eighth at 3-3 after losing to Deniliquin by 14 points on Saturday.
Bundoora recruit Jake Hobbs starred for Deniliquin.
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