Border Mail |
YARRAWONGA served up one of the most inaccurate performances in Ovens and Murray history when it kicked 30 behinds in its 82-point win over Corowa-Rutherglen yesterday.
The Pigeons equalled their worst behind total, with yesterday’s 16.30 (126) showing almost mirroring the 14.30 they kicked way back in 1939.
The league record is held by Corowa and St Pats, who both kicked 35 behinds in games last century.
The inaccuracy wasn’t the only low point of the match, with Corowa- Rutherglen youngster Lachie McLarty hastily accepting a week’s suspension after splitting Brendan Fevola open with a strike in the third quarter.
Fevola left the ground bleeding and had to be bandaged before he could return.
In wet and sloppy conditions, the Roos started numbers behind the ball in the hope of creating a low-scoring contest.
They didn’t quite succeed: the Pigeons refused to give up an extra man and sent their own loose players forward.
Yarrawonga co-coach Drew Barnes, one of the Pigeons’ best in the win, said the club expected the Roos to throw numbers behind the ball in yesterday’s clash at J.C. Lowe Oval.
“We found out during the week that they might flood the way they did,” Barnes said.
“We prepared for that a little, I suppose; we just wanted to go man on man, across the ground.”
The Roos suffered a record-breaking 134-point defeat to the Pigeons in round 4 and coach Adrian Pavese ensured that wouldn’t happen again.
Yarrawonga’s innaccurate forwards played their part in a reduced margin, too, with Fevola booting an astonishing 6.11 from almost 20 shots at goal.
Pavese said he was happy with his side’s resilience, despite entering the clash as rank outsiders.
He said the league’s finals bound clubs could learn a thing or two from Corowa-Rutherglen’s performance.
“We stuck to the task and I was really pleased with that,” he said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think if the other top-four clubs watched the way we played today, you can expose Yarrawonga.
“We forced them into some really poor decisions, which I haven’t seen this year.”
