Sport
10 July, 2026
Six and out! Woodies fall
AN UNDERMANNED Inglewood side was no match for Bridgewater last Saturday, with the 117-point loss slashing the Blues’ percentage and tightening the race for the finals.
They lost the four points and 17 per cent and would be hanging on to fifth spot by a thread if Maiden Gully had not lost by two points to Pyramid Hill.
Missing half a dozen senior players including star midfielder Bregon Cotchett, important forward Kai Cavallaro and captain Dan Polack, the Woodies were jumped by the Mean Machine.
Bridgewater, helped by impeccable kicking for goal, scored 15 goals after half-time to Inglewood’s four to power to a huge victory.
Coach Lachie Sharp was unstoppable with 11 goals, and when he and fellow forwards Oscar McKinley and Mitch Patten are on song, the Mean Machine’s attack is the best in the league.
They kicked 21 between them against Inglewood in a devastating exhibition of firepower.
Charlie Aitken was on Sharp all day, and although he gave up almost a dozen goals, he was still among his side’s better players, such was the endless tide of possession coming in from the Bridgewater midfield.
Sharp has kicked 40 goals in the past five matches and sits on 76 for the season, seemingly destined for a third consecutive 100-goal year since joining the Mean Machine.
He looked a little ginger after a contest in the last quarter, struggling to walk and clutching at his knee, but he ran off the injury quickly.
Inglewood’s fixture shows the side’s fate is in its own hands.
This week is Macorna, a game ahead of the Blues in fourth place, followed by winnable games against Mitiamo and Calivil, in which Inglewood will be hoping to claw back some of that percentage loss.
Maiden Gully and Newbridge – the other two teams in the race for the five – come in the two weeks after that.
The Woodies will be hoping Cotchett will be cleared to play after needing plastic surgery on a lip badly injured in a head clash against Marong two weeks ago.
Bridgewater is at home to Bears Lagoon Serpentine this Saturday.