Sport
23 May, 2026
Home stretch of season
NEWBRIDGE tuned up for the toughest stretch of its season with a 45-point win over Bears Lagoon Serpentine at Riverside Oval on Saturday, giving the Maroons confidence as they take on the best in the league.
NEWBRIDGE tuned up for the toughest stretch of its season with a 45-point win over Bears Lagoon Serpentine at Riverside Oval on Saturday, giving the Maroons confidence as they take on the best in the league. They are in good form after four wins on the trot, but they face a daunting and season-defining month ahead. Premiers Marong are in wait this Saturday, followed by an improving Inglewood before a week off for the King’s Birthday split round. Pyramid Hill and Bridgewater come after the bye – with Gary Ablett junior on deck for the clash with the Mean Machine – and by the end of this testing period, it will be apparent how much Newbridge have improved under coach Jayden Cordy. Last season the Maroons won only three games, so they have already surpassed their 2025 result, but they will have to play out the year without key forwards Brandon Dimech, who ruptured his ACL against Macorna in round five, and Billy Schilling with a back issue. Newbridge was too slick for a lumbering Bears Lagoon Serpentine side, whose lack of leg speed was exposed time and again. And the match again highlighted the Bears’ inability to score heavily without missing spearhead Josh Mellington – only three players were able to get on the scoreboard against the Maroons. Cordy said his team had identified speed as a key factor before the game and he was happy to see them run out the game, but he praised the defence as the Maroons’ strong point. “I knew our defence would be pretty good when it was settled, and the back six has been the back six for the past three weeks, with ‘Coey’ the general back there.” Indeed, key defender Jon Coe continued his excellent form for Newbridge, with his ball-reading ability a highlight, while Zebb Murrell and Jackson Eadon kicked three goals each. Cordy said without Dimech and Schilling, the forward line would have a radically different look, “We’re sharing around the goal scoring and playing some quality footy.” Bears defender Tyler Miles fought valiantly against the odds, with ruckman Nathan Twigg reliable at stoppages. Serp will be up against it this week, with top side Pyramid Hill visiting.
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