BY NATHAN DOLE
Redbacks claw way to fourth rung
THE Wedderburn Redbacks have climbed back to the fourth rung on the Goldacres North Central senior footy ladder after Saturday’s round 10 action.
As the Redbacks won their home game against St Arnaud by 40 points the ladder-leading Birchip-Watchem thrashed Nullawil by 104 points.
Those results meant Wedderburn went from sixth to fourth, and Nullawil slipped from fourth to sixth.
At Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park it was St Arnaud which made a brilliant start.
The Scott Driscoll-coached Saints raced to a 25-2 lead by quarter-time.
In term two it was Wedderburn which struck back to score 5.3 and held the visitors to a point.
Key forward Tom Campbell went on to kick three goals as Oscar Holt, Junior Miller and coach Tom Metherell all added two majors as the Redbacks charged to a 79-39 victory.
Jackson Needs kicked two of the Saints’ tally of six.
Best for Wedderburn were Jackson McEwen, Darcy Jackson, Joe Lockhart, Michael Zelencich, Junior Miller and Danny Benaim.
Harley Durward, Zac Phillips, Scott Driscoll, Mitch Birthisel, Thomas Bertalli and Brayden Phillips were St Arnaud’s best.
Birchip-Watchem dominated its clash with Nullawil at Birchip’s George Cartwright Oval.
The Trevor Ryan-coached Bulls charged to a 40-6 lead by quarter-time.
Another six goals in the second gave the ladder leaders a 63-point buffer by the long break.
Birchip-Watchem’s pressure and run did not let up across the final hour.
The Bulls scored 10.8 and held the Maroons to a tally of 4.3 in the second half.
At the final siren Birchip-Watchem led 148-44.
Eight goals by Ben Edwards lifted his season tally to 57.
Other multiple goalkickers for the Bulls were Joseph Reid, four; Ty Colbert, three; Daniel Bell, Nicholas Rippon, two.
Rylee Smith booted two goals for Nullawil.
Best for the Bulls were Nicholas Rippon, Joseph Reid, Ben Edwards, Angus Butterfield, Darcy Reid and Hamish Hosking.
Mitch Farmer, Rylee Smith, Brent Sheahan, Daniel Watts, Andrew Casey and Hunter Lawrence were best for the Daryl Wilson-coached Nullawil.
Closest margin of the afternoon was at Wycheproof where Wycheproof-Narraport took on Donald.
The Wayne Mitrovic-coached Wycheproof-Narraport led 18-9 at quarter-time.
In the second it was Donald which did plenty of attacking and scored 2.5 as the Demons were kept scoreless.
The Josh Potter-coached Donald held a seven-point lead going into the final term.
Inspired by the play of Daniel Pearce, Blake Grant and Ryan Hards, Donald added 4.2 to 2.1 in the last to complete a 54-34 victory.
The Royals’ attack was led by Noah Berry and Blake Grant on two each.
Josh Grabowski booted two goals for the Demons.
Best for Donald included Andrew Browne, Todd Stevenson and Hayden Geddes.
Koby Hommelhoff, Maysen Murgov, Thomas Trewin, Morgan Fawcett, Josh Walsh and Steven Kennedy were best for the Demons.
Boort’s defence was ripped apart by the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers at Boort Park.
The Tigers raced to a 27-nil lead by quarter-time and continued to dominate most contests.
The Bryce Delmenico and Billy McInnes-coached Sea Lake Nandaly added 6.7 as Boort scored its first goal in the second.
At half-time the Tigers led 70-8.
The reigning premier won the third, 30-2.
The last quarter was to be Boort’s best as it scored 4.2 as SLN added 5.5.
At the final siren Sea Lake Nandaly led 135-36.
Billy McInnes and Tyson McKenzie kicked three goals apiece for the yellow and black as Wade Donnan, Adam Pattison and Will Simpson added two each.
Tom Potter booted two goals for Boort.
Best for the Tigers were Max Cahoon, Wade Donnan, Tyson McKenzie, Thomas Cox, Adam Pattison and Jack Poulton.
Tom Potter, Jayden Dick, Matt Austin, Ryan McGhie, James Byrne and Jack Smith were Boort’s best.
Charlton had the bye.
North Central senior footy ladder:
Birchip-Watchem 208 per cent, 34 points; Sea Lake Nandaly 218, 32; Donald 122, 26; Wedderburn 120, 18; Wycheproof-Narraport 93, 16; Nullawil 89, 16; Boort 78, 14; St Arnaud 41, 4; Charlton 41, 0.
Leading goalkickers:
57 Ben Edwards, Birchip-Watchem.
28 Mitch Farmer, Nullawil.
28 Josh Jenkins, Sea Lake Nandaly.
27 Tom Campbell, Wedderburn.
26 Nicholas Rippon, Birchip-Watchem.
25 Trent Grant, Donald.
21 Jack Exell, Nullawil.
20 Billy McInnes, Sea Lake Nandaly.
19 Anthony Zelencich, Wedderburn.
18 Nicholas Grabowski, Wycheproof-Narraport.
18 James Keeble, Boort.
18 Joseph Reid, Birchip-Watchem.
15 Oscar Holt, Wedderburn.
13 Blake Grant, Donald.
12 Ty Colbert, Birchip-Watchem.
12 Ethan Coleman, Boort.
12 Lachy McClelland, Sea Lake Nandaly.
12 Tyson McKenzie, Sea Lake Nandaly.
11 Noah Berry, Donald.
11 Will Simpson, Sea Lake Nandaly.
10 Daniel Bell, Birchip-Watchem.
10 Darcy Jackson, Wedderburn.
10 Will Perryman, Boort.
10 Rylee Smith, Nullawil.
9 Chris Gavaghan, Charlton.
8 Thomas Cox, Sea Lake Nandaly.
8 Corey Jones, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Steven Kennedy, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Mitchell McEwen, Wedderburn.
8 Natnael McLaren, Boort.
8 Wayne Mitrovic, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Maysen Murgov, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Josh Potter, Donald.
8 Adam Thomson, Nullawil.