Close Encounters the Highlight of Round 12
Photo: Brad Greenshields, Coffs Coast Advocate
With four rounds remaining in the regular season, this weekend’s matches gave us the best indication yet of how the Finals Series will shape up.
Coffs Breakers recorded a narrow 11 point win over Sawtell Toormina Saints in a thrilling encounter at Richardson Park. This result represents the first time in their three year history that the Breakers have beaten their fiercest rival on away territory and will give them much confidence heading towards the business end of the season when further clashes between the two are guaranteed.
Breakers led by 25 points at the first break before Sawtell set about whittling away the deficit. By half time the reigning premiers were just 6 points in arrears, and by three quarter time the Saints had their noses in front by two points, setting the scene for a classic last quarter.
Breakers lifted in the final term to post 5 majors against Sawtell’s 3 to snatch a victory that could so easily have eluded them. Luke Valdes led the way with 4 goals and received excellent support from Fraser Duryea and Darcy Donnelly with 3 goals apiece.
There’s no such thing as a good loss, but Sawtell will take great heart from how close they came considering the number of players who were missing through injury. Standing tall for Sawtell were Aaron Clarke and Jed Ellis-Cluff who each booted 4 majors, whilst Jim Angel also contributed two.
Coffs Breakers 16.6.102 defeated Sawtell Toormina Saints 14.7.91
Port Macquarie Magpies took a giant leap towards securing third sport when they snuck home against Grafton Tigers in Grafton. The result sees the Magpies two wins clear of the Tigers on the ladder and, with three of the remaining four games at home, the Magpies have a great chance to build momentum.
Port were boosted by the surprise inclusion of Jesse Schmidt who returned from knee surgery earlier in the season. The Magpies led by 7 at the quarter, and 17 at the half time break before accelerating in the third to press home a strong advantage. In this quarter Port were able to kick 4 goals to the Tigers 2 to extend their lead to a comfortable 31 points going into the final term.
This comfort soon evaporated as the Magpies ran out of legs and the Tigers started to pile on the pressure. Grafton kicked the first 3 goals of the quarter and were looking like an pulling off the great escape but the Port defence remained resolute to repel the challenge. Port were only able to muster two behinds for the quarter but did enough to hang on for a dramatic 13 point win.
Luke Boxhall battle manfully throughout to overcome a rotator cuff injury and kick 3 goals. He was joined on the scoresheet by six other players with a solitary goal apiece which included key leaders in Dylan Beasley, Craig Dicker, Adam Mannes, and the returning Jesse Schmidt.
Grafton had key contributions from Mark Blundell with 3 goals, Ethan Olsen with 2, and both Pat Curtain and Josh McDonald with 1. Whilst the Tigers will be pleased with the way they finished the match they will realise that a slight drop in intensity in the third quarter cost them dearly and will need to work on producing four quarter efforts for the remainder of the season.
Port Macquarie Magpies 9.11.65 defeated Grafton Tigers 7.10.52
Next week is general bye in the Senior competition as the Senior representative team travels to Inverell for the annual clash against AFL North West. For the first ever time the men will be joined by a North Coast Women’s side who will play a curtain raiser against their North West counterparts. This will be the second occasion a North Coast Women’s team has taken to the field and continues to build momentum for the introduction of local Women’s footy in 2018.
For more information on female footy on the North Coast please contact the AFL Northern NSW office on 6659 6000.
