Sport
8 May, 2026
Full steam in final quarter
WEDDERBURN is reaping the benefits of a hard summer, with the Redbacks turning a 17-point lead at three-quarter time into a 51-point demolition of Birchip Watchem on Saturday.
WEDDERBURN is reaping the benefits of a hard summer, with the Redbacks turning a 17-point lead at three-quarter time into a 51-point demolition of Birchip Watchem on Saturday.
Coach Tom Metherell has his North Central league team unbeaten and on top of the ladder, and he said his “super fit” side was focused on running out games strongly.
Wind made for a scrappy game, but after the Bulls kicked the first two goals of the match with the aid of the breeze and led narrowly at quarter-time, Wedderburn gained control.
A string of four behinds in a row in the first term didn’t help the Bulls’ cause, and they are now winless after making the grand final last year, while Wedderburn is on top of the ladder.
Five unanswered Redback goals in the first 10 minutes of the final term showed their class against a Birchip Watchem team that is desperately missing the skills of last season’s centurion Ben Edwards.
The Bulls were also without coach Ash Connick as he served the second week of a two-match ban for abusive language to an umpire.
Key defender Rory Lehmann was outstanding in his best game for the Redbacks, with his elite intercept marking a highlight, and he even sneaked forward for a goal with the help of a 50m penalty. Forward Matt Perri was goalless, but Metherell said he did “the one-percenters and a lot of team things really, really well”.
Wedderburn’s accuracy was a telling difference between the two sides on the day, with the Redbacks kicking 8.1 in the last quarter.
With Edwards last season the Bulls averaged 140 points a game, but this year they are scoring at just 76 points a match, with recruit Ricardo Liparota their top marksman with only five goals for the season.
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