By David Nagel
Dalyston continues to impress under new-coach Dean Wylie after the Magpies made it three-wins from four matches with a 111-point victory over Bunyip on Saturday.
The Magpies currently sit on the lofty perch of second place on the WGFNC ladder, with victories over Kilcunda-Bass, Korumburra-Bena and now the Bulldogs seeing them already surpass their two-win season from last year.
Gun-recruit Mitch Hallahan was missing from Saturday’s engagement, but his absence proved no obstacle for the Magpies who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with a 6.5 to 0.2 opening burst.
With Blake Carew and Jack Legione in ominous touch up forward, and class-acts Michael Marotta and Curtis Murfett dominating the midfield, the Pies had 10 unanswered goals on the board by half time.
Bunyip was slightly more competitive in the second half, but had no answers to the Magpies big-guns.
Carew and Legione ended with four each for the Pies, while experienced-tall Brad Monson controlled the back half and middle of the ground.
Brayden Bowes, Mason Storr and Hayden Wallis weighed in with bags of three each for the winners, while Matt O’Halloran, Jason Williams and Ben Stewart never gave up for the undermanned Doggies.
Inverloch-Kongwak has continued its high-flying ways with an 89-point victory over Garfield at Beswick Street.
Playing well at the venue of last year’s grand final may prove beneficial for Tom Hams and his side, who look set for a top-two finish this season.
Once again it was youngster Archer Reid who was in rare touch for the Sea Eagles, with the promising key forward adding five goals to his six-goal haul against Kilcunda-Bass last week.
Good judges have Reid pencilled in for an early call out in this year’s AFL draft.
Nick Baltas, Dylan Clark, Tom Hams and Lachie Scott kicked two each for the Eagles, while Joe Soumilas, Ethan Park and Andy Soumilas were the beneficiaries of some great service from Clinton McCaughan in the ruck.
Garfield was outclassed but fought the game out well and will take some positive energy into this week’s visit to Korumburra.
Nick lang kicked two, while Mark Griffiths and Zac Soutar fought hard against the eagles talented midfield brigade.
And Warragul Industrials has tuned up nicely for this week’s massive clash against Inverloch with a 62-point win over Korumburra-Bena.
The Dusties were twice as good as the Giants in the first half, kicking four goals to two in the opening two quarters, before Giants James Dunn and Joel Cuman lifted their rating in the third.
Both teams had three shots at goal in the premiership quarter before the Dusties finished strongly with a 5.2 to 0.5 final term.
The lively Mason McGarrity and key forward Kyle Staples provided a nice balance up forward, with five goals each for the winners, while Cuman slotted two for the vanquished.
Matt Herbert continued his rise in form, while veterans Luke Walker and Shane Brewster were also solid contributors for the Dusties.
The Dusties face ladder-leaders Inverloch this week, while the Giants head home to host Garfield.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
With some teams closing in on 100 games in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) we thought it the ideal time to take a look at the head-to-head records of all 12 clubs.
Not surprisingly, Phillip Island is the only team with a positive record against all other clubs, while Korumburra-Bena is at the opposite end of the scale, with a negative head-to-head tally against all opposition.
Surprisingly only two clubs have split their contests dead even, with Dalyston squaring the ledger at five games each with Kilcunda-Bass back in round two this year.
Below is a chart explaining the head-to-head records of each WGFNC club.
