A BRAVE last quarter fightback from Wedderburn against unbeaten Birchip Watchem fell short in the North Central league, leaving the Redbacks with a mountain to climb to make the finals.
Wedderburn trailed by 49 points at three-quarter time but added 4.4 to 0.2 in the final term to go down by 23 points.
For coach Tom Metherell it was a frustrating example of his team’s inability to play four consistent quarters against the top sides.
“I could not fault the effort at all,” he said, but bemoaned giving the ladder leaders a six-goal head start.
The Redbacks have a potential percentage booster this week against winless Donald, but the weather forecast suggests high scoring will be difficult.
Then Wedderburn has a classic eight-pointer against Boort, who fourth spot the Redbacks are hoping to steal.
Boort has Birchip Watchem this week, so the likelihood is Wedderburn will close within four points of the Magpies if they can beat their Loddon Shire rivals.
Boort’s final two matches are against the bottom two sides, St Arnaud and Donald, while the Redbacks have a tough assignment against reigning premiers Sea Lake Nandaly before hosting St Arnaud in the final round.
“Anything can happen,” Metherell said.
“If we can play four quarters of what we played in the last quarter and in parts of the second quarter, there’s no reason why we can’t beat any team.”
Birchip Watchem’s 35-point lead at quarter-time proved insurmountable.
“We gave them a six-goal lead with a fair breeze behind them that then dropped.
“You could say Birchip took their foot off the pedal, but I don’t believe in that stuff, especially with a good side like them.”
Mitch Jensen kicked four goals to be among Wedderburn’s best, along with Isaac Holt, Jackson McEwen and developing ruckman Mark Robinson.
+ Boort once again found it difficult to beat a top side, falling by 56 points to Calder United.
The Magpies led at quarter-time by a point and trailed by only 15 points at the long break, but the Lions kicked 10 goals to three in the second half.
Boort’s season has been characterised by big wins against the poorer teams – consecutive victories by 188 points against Charton and 167 points against Donald in rounds two and three saw them top the ladder – but struggles to beat the big three sides.
A narrow win against Sea Lake Nandaly in round four is the outlier for the Magpies, but since then they have failed to beat another team in the top four.
Jhye Baddeley-Kelly only kicked one goal against the Tigers but still was named the team’s best player.
He has booted 60 goals for the season and must be in contention for the Feeny Medal for the competition’s best-and-fairest player.
Small forward Carlos Egan, Matt Austin and James Keeble were also among Boort’s best on the day.
+ Charlton won its fourth match for the season with a 62-point win over Donald, the Navies’ biggest since pre-COVID days.
Winless in 2025, Charlton has been the big improver in the league, winning all its matches against fellow strugglers St Arnaud and Donald.
The Navies cruised home on the back of a 6.5 to 0.0 first quarter, with Liam Collins, Ben Xiriha, Mason Kennan and coach Mitch Collins named as best.
+ Sea Lake Nandaly made an early statement against St Arnaud, banging on 9.8 to nothing with a strong first-quarter breeze at the Tigers’ backs.
The Saints battled hard and got some reward in the second quarter when they kicked two goals to one, but 11 goals to Sea Lake after half-time to St Arnaud’s single last-quarter goal saw the Tigers home by 131 points.
- GARY WALSH