General News
18 July, 2024
Horror run: Nevins hurt in 'rough play, out two two weeks
By GARY WALSH INGLEWOOD young star Gabe Nevins will miss another two matches in his horror season, dealing a blow to the Blues’ slim hopes of playing Loddon Valley football finals. Nevins was concussed last Saturday in a clash that saw Newbridge...
By GARY WALSH
INGLEWOOD young star Gabe Nevins will miss another two matches in his horror season, dealing a blow to the Blues’ slim hopes of playing Loddon Valley football finals.
Nevins was concussed last Saturday in a clash that saw Newbridge co-coach Sam Gale quickly yellow carded.
Gale was booked by umpires for engaging in rough conduct and took an early guilty plea, copping a two-match suspension.
The dashing Nevins had lined up for just his third game back after suffering a serious leg injury that had left him on the sidelines since round three.
Inglewood has missed the agility and tenacity of two-time league under18 best-and-fairest winner Nevins, a regular in the senior side that broke the Blues’ 20-year finals drought last year,
Nevins’ enforced absence comes at a critical time in Inglewood’s season, with three winnable matches in a row against Maiden Gully, Mitiamo and Calivil. While Inglewood’s reserves side is travelling well, and sits in fourth spot with a 7-4 record, senior depth will tested at the worst possible time.
Last week’s 78-point loss means the Blues can’t afford to drop another game if they are to sneak into fifth place, and also need to rely on other results to go their way.
Matches against the top two teams in the competition, Pyramid Hill and Marong, round out the season for Inglewood.
With just three wins from 11 matches, the Blues sit seventh on the ladder, a game and percentage behind Newbridge and Calivil, but with a game in hand over the Maroons, who have a bye this week.
“It’s out of our hands now,” coach Fergus Payne said. “We have a massive three weeks. If we want a shot at playing finals, we have to win.”
Maiden Gully, which began the season with a 12-point deduction for not fielding an under-18 team, has won three games, but lost to Inglewood by 56 points in round five at its home ground in Bendigo.
Mitiamo has not won a match this year, but only lost by 21 points against the Blues earlier in the season.
Calivil, which itself has designs on finishing in fifth place and snaring the last spot in the finals, defeated Inglewood by 55 points in round seven.
Inglewood’s senior side is young, and rising up the ladder is a long-term project, but the Blues will be aiming for a trio of wins followed by competitive efforts against league powerhouses, Pyramid Hill and Marong.
The club is using metrics top map intent and pressure applied by players on opponents, a gauge of how well Inglewood emerges from the daunting finish to its home-and-away season.
Bridgewater forward Ben Irvine was reprimanded for striking in the match against Pyramid Hill. Irvine entered an early guilty plea.