By Russell Bennett
WEST GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL NETBALL COMPETITION
REVIEW – AFL VICTORIA COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Four from four – what a way to awaken the sleeping giant that is West Gippsland interleague.
After the misfire of last year at Woodend against Riddell and District, the West Gippsland interleague name sprung back into relevance on Saturday at Garfield – with all four sides competing, the under-18 and senior footballers, and under-17 and open grade netballers, celebrating victories.
While it wasn’t the perfect build-up by any means – with a particularly short lead-in time, and some of the competition’s biggest names in both footy and netball either not making themselves available, or missing through injury – it was the perfect result.
Right from when it was first selected, Mark Lafferty’s senior footy side seemed to have the perfect mix of star power and rising stars, proven big game performers and versatility across all lines.
This was a particularly fit side – one that wasn’t overly tall, but had a perfect mix of athleticism, grunt, and polish.
It was ideally suited for Garfield’s pristine, expansive Beswick Street deck and it was clear that if Maryborough Castlemaine didn’t bring a similarly structured outfit, it would be in for a rude shock.
Last time a local side faced Maryborough, it was the Ellinbank and District side of 2015 at Princes Park in Maryborough.
That day the EDFL side got the early jump, and capitalised – opening up a 45-point lead by half-time and ultimately cruising to victory by that same margin, 19.12 (126) to 12.9 (81).
Ryan Gillis, Nathan Langley and Jason Wells starred up forward with 11 goals combined while Tye Holland won the best on ground medal ahead of the likes of Tyson Payne, Ricky Clark, and Matt Gray.
None of those players were available for selection on Saturday, with Wells (now at Kooweerup) the only one currently playing in the WGFNC.
But Saturday’s side that defeated Maryborough had a similar feel with its established stars and young guns both leading the way.
From the outset, it was clear the WGFNC was well on the path to victory. Their pressure at the contest, particularly their tackling, was one of their most obvious advantages – so much so that just five minutes in the neutral observer wasn’t wondering if the side would win, but by how much.
Truth be told, the WGFNC should have made much more of their scoring opportunities, with many of their 18 behinds coming from particularly gettable shots on goal – including those taken on the run from 40 metres out despite no pressure coming from an opposition player. It felt like the margin should have been much closer to 80 points West Gippsland’s way, rather than the eventual 44 – 11.18 (84) to 5.10 (40).
The MCDFNL was a strong, bigger-bodied, yet much slower side when the EDFL played them in 2015. It was one of the contributing factors behind their downfall, and Saturday was no different.
Zak Vernon was the clear standout for West Gippsland, as his team mates acknowledged in their assessment in the immediate aftermath. The worthy winner of the best on ground medal was dominant on the outside between the 50-metre arcs, but also pushed forward and impacted the scoreboard.
Rylan Smith was seemingly impassable down back and looked full of confidence with the likes of Justin McCleary and Michael Wallace around him. One of the most impressive aspects of Smith’s game is his ability to know when to kill a contest in defensive 50, or to help springboard his own side into attack going the other way.
Skipper Shem Hawking was another who was brilliant out wide, both with his calm decision-making and his relentless run. Ditto Cora Lynn young gun Jaxon Briggs, who also looked a particularly dangerous threat when pushing forward.
Andy Soumilas was his usual self through the centre corridor, which much of his work taking place in tight – often putting on a clearance masterclass alongside the likes of Jake Weightman, Chris Johnson and Corey Casey. His ability to read the play in high-pressure, contested situations and follow up by finding his targets by either hand or foot is unrivalled within the WGFNC, and Saturday was no different.
While West Gippy had winners all over the ground in their various positions, the likes of Jason Fisher also stood out – playing a crucial key forward role in a side not blessed with an abundance of height. Though he slotted just the one goal, he impacted countless contests up forward and relentlessly crashed the packs for his smaller team mates to capitalise. His contested marking was also one of his calling cards for the day.
Ultimately, the only downside of the clash for the WGFNC was a hamstring injury suffered by Phillip Island’s Aaron Edwards in the opening stages. He was to play no further part in the contest.
The West Gippsland name was once one of the genuine powerhouses at interleague level. There’s a long way to go before the new incarnation of the WGFNC reaches those lofty heights – and it’s possible it never will – but Saturday was the perfect first step on that journey.
