Sport
18 April, 2026
Potent treat up forward
WHEN a team boasting a forward who has kicked 262 goals in two seasons gets even stronger in attack, the omens are not great for opposing sides.
WHEN a team boasting a forward who has kicked 262 goals in two seasons gets even stronger in attack, the omens are not great for opposing sides.
Bridgewater coach Lachie Sharp said he wanted to share the goal scoring load this season – and the Mean Machine now have a potent triple threat up forward.
With Oscar McKinley, who kicked 50 goals last season, and experienced recruit Mitch Patten backing up Sharp’s brilliance, Bridgey’s attack is clearly the powerhouse of the competition.
The trio combined for 16 of Bridgewater’s 20 goals in the 100-point win over Newbridge on Saturday.
It was a massive statement from last season’s runners up, thumping a team widely predicted to be on the Loddon Valley league’s big improver in 2026.
The strong wind was mainly blowing across the ground to the scoreboard wing, but there was also a clear advantage for the side kicking to the highway end.
Bridgewater booted six goals in the first quarter to Newbridge’s two despite kicking against the wind, and when the Mean Machine added 8.2 in the second term to 0.3, the match was all but over at half-time.
McKinley’s one-grab marking was outstanding, and his three goals to half-time were all kicked from just metres out as he profited from Bridgey’s deep forward entries.
Sharp, of course, kicked the first goal of the season on his way to six for the day; McKinley matched that tally, and the nuggetty Patten booted four.
Newbridge, with a heavily revamped list, was never in the contest, and failed to score in the last quarter as the game fizzled out – Bridgewater kicked only 1.6 itself.
Vaunted Maroons recruit Jon Coe battled hard in an overwhelmed defence and Andrew Willett was prominent in the midfield, but Newbridge had too few contributors. A list with so many new faces will always take time to gel, but the Maroons looked bereft on ideas.
Full-forward Billy Schilling will return next week and will be warmly welcomed back by an attack that misfired badly.
Raging winds test new-found abilities
CALIVIL coach Sam Maher threw his team’s new game plan to the wind on Saturday – almost literally.
Saturday’s blustery conditions at Mitiamo were the worst Magher said he had ever encountered.
But the raging wind didn’t stop his Demons from winning their first match since 2024.
Calivil’s 10-point victory over the Superoos was built on an ability to adapt.
Maher told his team at half-time to forget the structures that they had been working on all summer. Mitiamo had the wind in the third quarter and took a one-point lead into the second half, but Calivil applied the defensive clamps and held the Superoos to 1.2 for the term.
Three goals in the final quarter to one saw the Demons record their first victory since round 16, 2024. Recruit Zac Tickell was best on the ground, with his skills able to overcome the atrocious conditions, while junior Aidan Roulston backed up from a full Under 18 game to kick two of Calivil’s seven goals.
Brent Arho booted four of Miti’s six majors on debut, while skipper Ryan Duncan was named as the Superoos’ best player.
Maher was shocked at how the conditions seemed to defeat some of the most talented players.
He said highly skilled rival coach Luke Lougoon “was missing targets by 10 metres” and Maher said he had to make a 180-degree turn to try to mark a kick that suddenly reversed direction.
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