Border Mail |
IF Yarrawonga escaped with the points, it was North Albury who gained the accolades in the Pigeons’ 14-point win at Bunton Park on Saturday.
Tipped by most as wooden spooners after a pre-season walkout, the Hoppers have responded in magnificent fashion.
They’ve gained only positives from the loss of personnel and any team thinking of going to Bunton Park to collect four points can think again.
The Hoppers are up and running and their pace and youthful enthusiasm has them ready to strike with a big scalp.
The game itself was tough, exciting and attacking.
The pace did not relent and it was the underdog that showed the cleaner pair of heels.
Missed opportunities robbed the Hoppers of a first-change lead, with full forward Jarrah Maksymow the main offender with 2.2.
Pigeons’ full forward Brendan Fevola struggled, with Daniel Leslie all over the star.
He restricted Fevola to just one goal from limited possessions.
It was the two centre-half-forwards who stole the limelight.
Yarrawonga’s Brad O’Connor just shaded young Hopper Josh Minogue for best afield honours.
O’Connor presented time and time again with overhead marks and long penetrating kicks.
His three first-half goals were followed by another three in the second half.
But it was Minogue who was the talk of the match.
The exciting youngster, 17, booted three first-half goals against Marcus McMillan and followed up with another two on co-coach Drew Barnes to have Hoppers’ fans raving that a new Stan Sargeant may have arrived.
Yarrawonga led by four points at half-time and it was a painful process to extend that margin in the second half.
The Pigeons had an unlikely hero in Craig Whinray.
He applied the brakes on Kris Holman and his second goal at the 27-minute mark of the third quarter gave Yarrawonga its biggest lead.
However, a goal to Jethro Calma-Holt with 10 seconds left on the clock cut the margin back to nine points at the final change.
Whinray’s third goal gave Yarrawonga breathing space but the Hoppers, full of confidence that they were the fittest, kept pressing forward.
Jordan Harrington, Tom Holman, Aaron Bauerle, Clay Moscher-Thomas, Ryan Polkinghorne and Kristian Cary provided numerous opportunities.
Again it was Minogue who arose with two goals to help the Hoppers get within two points after 13 minutes.
Yarrawonga steadied, with Xavier Leslie, Tyler Bonat, Brandon Symes, Beau Seymour, Luke Ednie and Scott Oswald lifting for another effort.
Two long bombs from Kayne Pettifer put an end to a brave challenge.
“I was happy to win because North are going good,” Yarrawonga co-coach Kennedy said.
“We didn’t play intelligent footy.
“They played a really fast game of footy and we played into their hands by trying to move it too fast ourselves.
“We could have rolled over and dropped that one, but the boys found a way to win.”
North Albury coach Jason Akermanis, who will miss Saturday’s clash with Corowa- Rutherglen, was left to rue another missed opportunity.
“That’s the disappointing thing,” Akermanis said.
“That’s two games in a row we have let the opposition off the hook after having more scoring shots.
“It’s not a great habit to have.
“We have lost four games by less than a couple of kicks but that comes with inexperience.
“I don’t want to give that as an excuse.
“We had a lot of the ball, played really good footy and there is a lot to like about how we are going.”
