HEATHMERE earned their first win of the 2023 South West District Football League season, coming away with a 15.10 (100) to 7.7 (49) win over Westerns at Hanlon Park on Saturday.
The Meres’ victory was driven by their strong play through the middle portion of the match, as they kicked three goals to nil in the second term and six to three in the third term to have what proved to be an unassailable 50-point advantage heading into the final term.
Heathmere’s senior coach Adrian Hann praised his side’s performance over the weekend, saying it was great to see his club get some points on the board.
“It was definitely a great win… it’s probably been too long between wins for this club so it was great we could go out there (on Saturday) and get it done,” Hann said.
“We’ll take a lot of confidence from this performance… the guys have done the work on the training track, and it’s paid off.”
While Westerns are another club which has struggled to win games over the past couple of seasons, Hann said his group had certainly not underestimated them coming into it, especially after they gave Heywood a solid run for their money last week.
“We knew they could score quickly if we gave them that opportunity… our defence has been a point of emphasis since preseason and I think we did a good job slowing them down on that end,” he said.
While the Meres have seen solid performances from numerous players around the ground, there have been a handful of players who have stood out week-in, week-out.
Cody Driscoll, Cooper Anson, Reece Morris, Zac Deane and Kyle Anson were named in their side’s best for their performances, with Hann praising each of them for their efforts.
“They’re all highly regarded at the club, they go all out, they’re really important to our success,” Hann said.
“I want to give a special mention to Cody, his game down back in terms of his control of the game, his leadership and his voice is massive for us.”
Meanwhile for Westerns, it was a rough first-half showing on the scoreboard which ultimately took them out of this contest, as had they matched their six-goal second half early on this would’ve been a very different contest in the latter stages.
Nonetheless, they’ll take some positives away from this one, not least the performances of Noah Knight, James Corbett, Daniel Lynch, Ash Hill, Benjamin England and Frank Makin.
Cavendish holds off Heywood
A strong first half was the driving force behind Cavendish’s home victory over Heywood on Saturday, with the final score in the contest being 13.9 (87) to 12.7 (79).
The foundation of this victory was built through the Bloods’ efforts at both ends of the ground, as they booted nine goals while holding the Lions to just four of their own to take a five-goal lead into half time.
Heywood certainly wasn’t going away quietly however, as they rattled off a strong third term to bring the margin back to just 13 points heading into the final term.
And while the Lions continued to press hard over the final 20 minutes, the Bloods showed their mettle to stave off a spirited comeback and come away with the eight-point victory.
Jonathon Coghlan, Edward Purvis, Brodhi Carracher, Ben Packman, Harrison Rees and William Luhrs were best for a Cavendish side which has placed itself in third spot and a game ahead of the rest of the pack just three weeks in.
Meanwhile, Heywood will be proud of their efforts despite starting the season with just the one win, as they’ve played Dartmoor and now Cavendish to single-digit margins within the span of a fortnight.
Coleraine too much for Darras
The third quarter is famously known as the premiership quarter, and Coleraine showed why on the weekend on their way to a 15.15 (105) to 7.9 (51) victory over Tyrendarra.
The Darras played their opposition close away from home despite missing senior coach Sam Anson from the line-up due to injury, and they trailed by just eight points heading into the second half.
However, the Maroons found another gear in the third term, booting seven goals to none in yet another display of their offensive firepower, as Will Slattery led the way with six.
Sam Tooley, Alexander Richardson, Slattery, Adam Ward, Samuel Youngman and Cody Deutscher were named in the Maroons’ best, with the club sending another message to the rest of the competition that they’ll be one of the teams to beat.
It’s a tough loss for a Darras side which hasn’t had an easy start to their campaign having played the Maroons and the reigning premiers Cavendish in consecutive weeks away from home, and they’ll surely be looking forward to being back at home for round four.
Josh Atwell, Jack Gibbons, Dylan Jennings, Dylan Murray, Reece Williams and Lachie Kirk were named in their best.
Giants get the best of Saints
Dartmoor have continued their undefeated start to the season with a 35-point victory over Branxholme-Wallacedale, running out 12.15 (87) to 8.4 (52) victors at Dartmoor.
With the Giants on top by 32 points at half time, one might’ve thought they had this game in the bag, but the Saints had other ideas.
A four goals to two third quarter in their favour saw them pull to within 21 points at the final change, with a real chance at giving the Giants a run for their money.
However, Dartmoor held their nerve, holding the Saints to just one further score for the remainder of the contest to claim victory, despite themselves kicking 2.8 in the final term.
Jayden Polaski, Jay Ropitini, Lachlan Polaski, Joseph Franklin, Sam Hayes and Kyle Carlin were best for Dartmoor, while Toby Hawthorne, Samuel Brewer, Harley Simpson, Travis Scott, Thomas Scott and Rhylee Porter fought hard for the Saints.
