Sport
30 May, 2026
Coach’s hopeful comeback after Mean Machine wins comfortably
BRIDGEWATER coach Lachie Sharp expects to play against Calivil on Saturday after his abductor injury proved to be less serious than first feared. He missed the Mean Machine’s comfortable win over Mitiamo, with the forward line filled with unfamiliar names.
BRIDGEWATER coach Lachie Sharp expects to play against Calivil on Saturday after his abductor injury proved to be less serious than first feared. He missed the Mean Machine’s comfortable win over Mitiamo, with the forward line filled with unfamiliar names. Sharp, Oscar McKinley and Mitch Patten all sat out the game against the Superoos, but there was still enough goalkicking power to give Bridgey a 72-point win. The Mean Machine spread around the goals, with Tyson Taylor kicking four, Harry Conway three, and Darcy Wood, Luke Ellings and Josh Martyn all adding two. Mitiamo was still without coach Luke Lougoon, who was out with a lingering hamstring issue, but young star Joey Mizzi returned after missing one game with the neck injury that caused the abandonment of the round five match against Inglewood. Mizzi eased himself back into the game but was not as prominent as in earlier matches when he was clearly the Superoos’ best player. Lougoon is likely to return to the side this week after three games out, in a major boost for the Superoos. He said the first quarter, after which Mitiamo led by 11 points, showed that the team could match it with any opponents, but the problem was sustaining that form over four quarters. “They had a few players missing, but you are still playing against one of the top sides,” Lougoon said. Sharp said his injury appeared to be nerve related rather than a more troubling tear, and since leaving the field with the injury against Maiden Gully he had not felt any pain. Veteran Jack Neylon will also return against the Demons, with Queensland-based McKinley and Patten to miss again. Bridgewater had eight changes for the Mitiamo game, with a senior debut for Under 18 player Ollie Clapp, who was one of three juniors selected. Mitiamo matched it with Bridgey until the middle of the second quarter but then the gap in class began to show. Twelve goals to five after halftime sealed the win for the Mean Machine. Mitiamo hosts Bears Lagoon Serpentine this week, with both teams looking to begin to claw their way up the ladder.
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