By Hayley Wildes
WEST GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL NETBALL COMPETITION
REVIEW – AFL VICTORIA COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a battle of mates taking on mates when the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition faced the Ellinbank and District Football League in their under-18 interleague clash at Yarragon on Saturday.
Incredibly, 17 players who lined up for West Gippsland formerly played in the EDFL competition, and those players showed no mercy towards their former league, as West Gippsland proved far too strong, scoring a thumping 102-point win.
West Gippsland jumped out of the blocks early to boast a six-goal to zero lead at the first break and never looked back as best-on-ground medal winner, Kooweerup’s Mitch Cammarano dominated across the ground in a dynamic display.
With Cammarano and Garfield’s Trent McMahon monstering the EDFL midfielders, Bunyip duo Sage Tapner (six goals) and Heath Morgan-Morris (three goals) got on the end of great forward 50 entries and completed the fine work from West Gippsland up the ground.
Just prior to the main break, the EDFL finally got a major on the board, but the game was all but over at that stage.
Aidian Pipicelli, Tarquin McMillan and Lewis Hill were also impressive for West Gippsland as Shaun Sparks’ side ran out 22.16 (148) to 6.10 (46) winners.
West Gippsland’s ability to find space and make the most of its opportunities was the difference, while the EDFL struggled mightily to get any fluency in its ball movement forward of centre.
On a disappointing day for the EDFL, Hayden Wallis and Jai Newcombe stood tall and battled hard, while Lewis Kennedy and Jack Storey also tried their best to propel the thick and fast forward fifty entries that West Gippsland generated.
