BY NATHAN DOLE
MARONG capped an unbeaten run to a premiership victory in the Central Victoria FL under-18 boys’ footy grand final on Saturday.
The Panthers’ cubs took on East Loddon Rams in the clash for premiership glory at Inglewood’s Dissy Machinery Oval.
It was an evenly-contested opening term in which Marong scored 1.6 and the Rams racked up a tally of 1.5.
Play opened up in the second and it was the Panthers who dominated plenty of passages.
The Panthers slammed on 6.3 to a goal.
By half-time Marong led 45-17.
East Loddon kept working hard, but Marong’s slick teamwork and advantage of breaks leading into and throughout the finals series proved telling.
A tally of 31 scoring shots as East Loddon had just 10 across the match was a sign of Marong’s outstanding play.
Marong scored 3.3 to 1.1 in the third quarter to hold a seven-goal lead going into the final quarter.
The Panthers finished the contest full of run and scored 3.7 to a point.
At the final siren Marong celebrated a 12.91 (91) to 3.7 (25) victory.
Among the many strengths of the Panthers team was its attacking options.
Marong had nine goalkickers in the grand final.
Harry Cruise, Lochie Hale and Liam Rielley kicked two goals each for the Panthers.
Other goalkickers for Marong were Zac Justice, Riley Kerr, Harry Roberts, Spencer Taylor, Kai Terrill and Rhys Wakefield.
Jaxon Addlem, Sam Hicks and Tyler Rasmussen goaled for the Rams.
Marong’s best were Josh Hall, Liam Rielley, Hudson Bourke, Lochie Hale, Spencer Taylor and Kepler Thomson.
Josh Diss, Tyler Rasmussen, Jaxon Addlem, Brandon Columbus and Jye Rasmussen played well for the East Loddon Rams.
The Panthers kicked off their finals campaign by scoring a 80-point win against East Loddon in the second semi-final.
Marong watched on a week later as the Rams beat Inglewood in the preliminary final by 11 points to advance to the season decider.
The Rams run was a 43-26 win against Inglewood in the qualifying final, loss to Marong in the second semi, and then beat the Blues again.