Sport
10 August, 2023
Redbacks' quick march leaves Saints stunned
WEDDERBURN’S superiority over a struggling St Arnaud was on show from the opening bounce of Saturday’s North Central league clash at Donaldson Park. The Redbacks went straight into attack with an offline shot at goal by Danny Benaim immediately...
WEDDERBURN’S superiority over a struggling St Arnaud was on show from the opening bounce of Saturday’s North Central league clash at Donaldson Park.
The Redbacks went straight into attack with an offline shot at goal by Danny Benaim immediately followed by Sam Barnes and Robert Whyman kicks part of the early inaccuracy.
Then Benaim cracked the goal-kicking code two minutes in, then was part of an exciting passage started by Whyman on the flank that brought up another behind, Soon after, Tom Campbell found Jordan Rosengren who slotted accurately through the sticks.
Three minutes into the game and Wedderburn had six scoring shots. The Redbacks were tackling hard, able to keep play deep in their forward zone.
Rosengreen, Mitch McEwen, Benaim and Hamish Lockhart were creating play and often space.
A sloppy turnover in the centre allowed Harley Durward to send St Arnaud forward for the first time only to see the ball back in Wedderburn’s zone and two quick goals off the boot of Barnes.
Another brief foray forward by St Arnaud was quickly turned over and had McEwen hooking a major.
Wedderburn’s dominance in the centre - Jordan Hargreaves on top in the ruck, Lowry and Rosengreen always at the ready - had Barnes finding goals again as he signalled the march to a grand day that would see him with a haul of 11 goals.
Durward would kick St Arnaud’s only goal - and only score of the term - at the 18 minute mark.
Play was so one-sided in the first term, that all 36 players were in the forward half as the quarter played out.
St Arnaud tried to bottle play in the centre from the second quarter bounce and limited space available to Wedderburn.
Both sides would add two goals and, again, accuracy was plaguing Wedderburn as it went against a two-goal breeze.
Benaim’s early goal on the turn was vintage splendour - mark not paid, immediate recovery and snap.
St Arnaud also lifted when the Redbacks were temporarily unsettled when forward Rhordan Holt left the ground with an injured shoulder.
Anthony Bourke was a livewire for the Saints and was rewarded with a goal.
Whatever vigour was still left in the Saints’ engine evaporated in the second half.
They were held to one goal in the third term as Wedderburn piled on an accurate and tidy 11.3.
And the final term brought even less comfort with the Redbacks holding their visitors scoreless and adding six goals and the offline nine behinds.
Owen Lowe, Matthew Goode and William Bertalli were also among the Saints who tried hard to combat Wedderburn’s systematic disposal of a side that has struggled all season.
The return from injury of Matthew Chisari and Shane Biggs was not enough for Boort to combat Birchip Watchem.
The Pies were reasonably competitive in the opening term against a Bulls outfit shaping up for a tilt at the premiership.
However, still without Nathan Twigg and their other bigman Cam Ross also out on Saturday, the Pies were always facing a tough task.
Chisari and regular best players McGhie and Davis were in the action all day. Biggs finished with two goals.