Sport
29 May, 2026
Rivals eye top goal kicker’s talent
JHYE Baddeley-Kelly’s goalkicking exploits in recent weeks were always going to get a reaction from opposition coaches
JHYE Baddeley-Kelly’s goalkicking exploits in recent weeks were always going to get a reaction from opposition coaches. After his 26 goals in two matches, Bears Lagoon Serpentine decided the best tactic was to station a spare player in front of the Pyramid Hill star to block his run at the ball. And it worked. At half-time the Bears trailed by only eight points, and the ladder-leading Bulldogs were struggling to score. “They had a spare in front of him, and we were kicking long and sitting it on his head,” Pyramid Hill coach Jarrod Fitzpatrick said. So, at the main break it was decided to move Baddeley-Kelly into the midfield, to change the forward line mix and to honour short leads. And that worked. Baddeley-Kelly still finished with six goals, the Bulldogs kicked 10 goals to one after halftime, and the form side of the competition rolled on. Onballers James Sala and Isaac Brill racked up the possessions at will and eight players got on the scoresheet – three of them booting multiple goals. Once again, the Bears had issues up forward in the absence of Josh Mellington, with big Frasier Holland’s two goals the side’s best return. Serp has scored the third-lowest number of points this season and has fallen two games and a hefty chunk of percentage behind Macorna, which sits in fifth spot. Andrew Gladman and tough defender Tyler Miles were best for Serp, with tireless ruckman and captain Nathan Twigg as hard working as ever at centre ball-ups and around the ground. Bottom side Mitiamo awaits this week, with the standalone match for Inglewood’s 150th anniversary a week later before the bye, after which the club hopes Mellington will return. Pyramid hosts Macorna at Mitchell Park on Saturday.
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Still some work to do for the Tigers
LAST week Calivil coach Sam Maher said his team would have to come up with new remedies for its slow starts. At quarter-time against Macorna on Saturday, it was clear there was still plenty of work to be done. That Calivil outscored the Tigers for the rest of the game only increased Maher’s frustration, as a second win for the season went begging. Macorna’s 19-point win lifted the team into fifth on the ladder with a 4-3 record, breaking a run of three consecutive defeats. Maher said the first quarter score did not truly reflect the evenness of the contest, with turnovers costing his team when it went forward. And he was proud of how the side played out the game. “It was probably the best game we have played this season – we had more belief and our pressure was much better,” Maher said. Last year’s best and fairest Riley Walsh returned for his first game of the season at full-back after recovering from a severe ankle injury. Youngster Tyler Rasmussen was the Demons’ best, while Sam Whinfield and ruckman Matt Colak continued their excellent seasons for Macorna.
Read More: Bears Lagoon, Pyramid Hill