The fight for 4^th and 5^th positions in the 2007 Bendigo Bank Central Highlands Football League looks set to go down to the wire after Dunnstown were soundly defeated by the rampaging Kangaroos on Saturday.

 

With Learmonth going down to Hepburn, Dunnstown remain a game clear in 4^th despite the 51 point loss, and must either beat the so far undefeated Daylesford next week, or hope that Learmonth or Bungaree lose their last game of the home and away season.

 

The Kangaroos, meanwhile, are beginning to develop a habit of bounding away to big starts.

 

For the second week running Waubra have put away a dangerous opponent by half time, and on Saturday they hit the Dunnstown ground running to be leading by 55 points mid way through the 1^st quarter on the way to a 21.7 to 13.4 win.

 

Coach Shane Skontra would later describe it as “a vital coin toss to win,” but the way the ‘Roos were able to capitalise on a 4 goal breeze was brutal.

 

After Paul Dodds missed with the very first kick of the day to register a behind, the ‘Roos piled on 9 unanswered goals to build a lead always too great for Dunnstown to overcome.

 

George Russell was dominant in the ruck early, combining regularly with Gavin Miller to send the ball rapidly forward, where Lee Brown celebrated his return with 7 goals for the game.

 

John Coleman provided another target for the Waubra midfield, hauling down strong marks, and livewire Lachlan Oliver was everywhere at times, running through the lines and burrowing under packs.

 

Inevitably Dunnstown would hit back, and the Towners showed that their ladder position is no fluke as they had the better of large chunks of the game, but the margin was always too great to be seriously challenged.

 

David Dridan displayed why he is one of the hottest properties in the CHFL with a magnificent 4 quarter effort. Dridan was a vital key wherever he played, his vigour and skill lifting team mates as Dunnstown recovered from the early onslaught to match it with the Kangaroos.

 

Dunnstown’s fans got some very bright glimpses of the future too, as Angus McKenzie-McHarg continued to show the improvement which has some good judges rating him as a very good player for the seasons to come.

 

For the immediate future though, Dunnstown must throw everything it has at Daylesford next week, while Waubra hosts Bungaree in what could be one of the matches of the year, including the mouth watering prospect of a Brown/Nicholson shootout.

 

BEST PLAYERS: 

DUNNSTOWN –, D. Dridan, A. McKenzie-McHarg, J. Cahir, P. Phillips, R. Cahir, J. McKay.

WAUBRA - -G. Miller, G. Russell, J. Coleman, L. Brown, R. Allan, L. Oliver.

DUNNSTOWN –J. Cahir 4, J. Auchettl 2, D. Dridan, C. Leach, D. McBain, T. Leonard, D. Sidebottom, T. Robertson J. Murphy 1.

WAUBRA – L. Brown 7, J. Coleman 4, L. Oliver, S. Nicholson, C. Landry 2, P. Dodds, L. Pellissier, R. Allan, B. Beseler 1.