General News
5 June, 2025
Blues make their mark in dying minutes of key clash
By ADAM BOURKE INGLEWOOD players, coaching staff and supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief after the Blues fended off a gallant Maiden Gully in round eight of the Loddon Valley Football Netball League. The Blues won 15.10 (100) to 12.9...
By ADAM BOURKE
INGLEWOOD players, coaching staff and supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief after the Blues fended off a gallant Maiden Gully in round eight of the Loddon Valley Football Netball League.
The Blues won 15.10 (100) to 12.9 (81), but it took until the dying minutes for the home side to put paid to an improving young Maiden Gully side.
The home side had trailed by five points at the last change before kicking 4.2 to 0.2 in the final quarter to secure a crucial four points in the context of its season. “Before the game we wanted to put together four quarters of footy, but it was pretty obvious watching the game that we didn’t do that,’’ Inglewood coach Fergus Payne said.
“When we play well, we put together good patches of footy, both attacking and defensively, but when we break down, we’re poor both ways.
“The pleasing thing was we stuck to our process in the last quarter and I thought our last 15 minutes was really strong.”
With the game on the line in the final quarter the Blues needed someone to stand up in the big moments and Liam Marciano did just that.
The former Eaglehawk livewire kicked the opening goal of the final quarter, controlled the game through the middle of the ground and, arguably most importantly, denied Maiden Gully scoring opportunities by taking two crucial intercept marks across half-back – something the midfielder is not renowned for doing.
Lachlan Ford did a power of work for the Blues around the stoppages, Harry Veitch and Daniel Polack were consistent performers and Kai Cavallaro was dangerous across half-forward.
The most intriguing battle of the game was deep in Inglewood’s attack where the Blues’ in-form forward Seb Erharter had 16-year-old Maiden Gully defender Lewis Pigdon for company after quarter-time. Erharter finished the day with five goals, including one after the final siren, to take his season tally to 42 goals, but Pigdon impressed with his closing speed, defensive nous and penetrating left-foot kick.
Pigdon, who is a member of the Bendigo Pioneers under-16 squad, clearly has a bright future.
Maiden Gully coach Shawn Filo was frustrated the Eagles didn’t get over the line, but couldn’t fault his side’s efforts.
“We knew we had to put a lot of pressure on around the footy because Inglewood gets a lot of uncontested footy,’’ Filo said.
“I thought if we could keep that pressure up, we’d be right in the game. It came down to which team made the most of their opportunities when the game was in the balance.”
Saturday’s game marked the Maiden Gully debut of former Huntly and Lockington-Bamawm United playing coach Stacy Fiske.
Having played more than 200 games in the Heathcote district league, Fiske’s experience will be invaluable for the Eagles.
“His voice on the track on Tuesday and Thursday and during the game today… his communication skills are second-to-none,’’ Filo said of Fiske. “With where our group is at in terms of average age, Stacy’s knowledge and organisational skills on the ground are really going to help us out.”