Saints get their mojo back

Sawtell/Toormina players celebrate a last quarter goal that helped steer the Saints to victory over Northern Beaches. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing

Sawtell/Toormina produced its best performance of the AFL North Coast season on Saturday to move within touching distance of the top four.

The Saints were more desperate than their Northern Beaches opponents and didn’t lose a single quarter to grind out a 9.10 (64) to 5.7 (37) victory that pleased their playing coach Brandt Lee.

“Everyone had the right mindset from the first bounce to the last contest, that was the most impressive part about it,” Lee said.

“It’s something that we’ve been struggling to do over the last couple of weeks but today, if that doesn’t prove that we’re back to our normal form then I don’t know what does.”

Sawtell/Toormina led by 13 points at half time but the Blues jumped out of the blocks after the resumption with two quick goals to have the spectators thinking they were about to see a close finish.

The Saints rallied though and kicked four unanswered goals in the remainder of the third term when tensions began to fray and discipline was required to take a commanding lead into the final break.

Northern Beaches coach Rory Evans was disappointed with the loss coming a week after such a big win over competition leader the Coffs Breakers but said the opposition deserved all the plaudits.

“To their (Sawtell/Toormina’s) credit they just played well. Their home ground, they worked it well, they spread and got loose really, really well and we just didn’t respond,” Evans said.

SAWTELL/TOORMINA 1.4  2.6  6.9  9.10 (64)
NORTHERN BEACHES 0.0  0.5  2.6  5.7 (37)
Goals – Saw: D.Ragless 4, J.Perks 2, W.Lloyd, L.Draper-Bell, L.Neal. NB: C.Frangos 2, E.Duryea 2, Z.Edwards.

Other matches

The Coffs Breakers bounced back from their fist loss of the year with a solid win over a determined Nambucca Valley.

Oscar McKenzie, Hayden Cekanauskas and Michael McMahon all kicked three goals for the victors while Andrew Welsh and Jimmy Angel kicked three each for the Lions.

COFFS BREAKERS 4.4 7.10 11.10 16.14 (110)
NAMBUCCA VALLEY 2.4 6.4 9.6 11.6 (72)
Goals – Break: O.McKenzie 3, M.McMahon 3, H.Cekanauskas 3, R.Maher 2, J.Lansdowne, N.Stanlan-Velt, A.Wood, L.Beacom, J.Guthrie. NV: A.Welsh 3, J.Angel 3, E.Linares 2, J.McGregor, H.Bird, A.Clarke.

The Lismore Swans maintained their chase for a double chance come finals time with a 56-point win over reigning premier Grafton.

The Swans kicked eight goals to one through the second and third quarters

LISMORE SWANS 3.1 7.3 11.6 15.9 (99)
GRAFTON 2.2 3.5 3.6 6.7 (43)
Goals – Lis: TBC. Graf: H.Anderson 2, D.Perich, J.Boehme, L.Hayman, N. O’Neill.

Clash at Wayne Richards Park postponed

There was one match that wasn’t played on the weekend.

Port Macquarie’s home ground was closed on Saturday so the match against the Casino Lions was postponed. The match will now be played on July 24, the same day that Northern Beaches and Sawtell/Toormina will play their catch-up game.

SENIOR LADDER

	P	W	D	L	WIN %	FOR	AGST	%
Coffs Breakers	10	9	0	1	90.00	1075	579	185.66
Northern Beaches	9	6	1	2	72.22	676	488	138.52
Lismore Swans	10	7	0	3	70.00	1214	545	222.75
Port Macquarie	9	5	0	4	55.56	766	622	123.15
Sawtell/Toormina	9	5	0	4	55.56	653	628	104.00
Grafton	10	4	1	5	45.00	954	652	146.32
Nambucca Valley	10	1	0	9	10.00	403	922	43.71
Casino Lions	9	0	0	9	0.00	228	1533	14.87

ROUND 11 – Saturday, July 10

NORTHERN BEACHES vs NAMBUCCA VALLEY at Centennial Oval, Woolgoolga
(2.50pm – Seniors)
GRAFTON vs PORT MACQUARIE at Ellem Oval, Grafton
(10am – Under-17s [Tigers vs Saints]; 11.50am – Women; 1.20pm – Reserves; 2.50pm – Seniors)
COFFS BREAKERS vs LISMORE SWANS at Fitzroy Oval/Old Camp, Coffs Harbour
(11am – Under-17s [Breakers vs Inverell]; 12.50pm – Reserves [Breakers vs Blues]; 2.20pm – Women; 3.50pm – Seniors)
CASINO LIONS vs SAWTELL/TOORMINA at Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino
(1.45pm – Seniors)