Four Wonthaggi wins on the road

NO ONE can remember the last time Wonthaggi Power won all four football matches on the one day as they did at Morwell on Saturday.

The Under 16s got the club off to a good start winning 10.12.72 to 7.7.49 and the Under 18s continued the theme winning convincingly 14.8.92 to Morwell’s 6.3.39.

The Reserves held off a competitive Tiger outfit in a low-scoring affair 7.6.46 to 4.6.30 and the Wonthaggi Power Seniors brought it home with a gutsy two-goal win after their early lead had been whittled down to just three points halfway through the last quarter; Wonthaggi 10.8.68 to Morwell’s 8.8.56.

“Four wins in the day. You can’t underestimate how good that is for the club today and you’re setting the standard,” said Power coach Jarryd Blair in the rooms after the game.

“That’s probably going to be one of our biggest challenges on the road this year. They’re good opposition and to get down to three points and come again says a lot. They’re the games you win with preparation and attitude,” said Blair.

As well as highlighting all four wins, Blair also welcomed back key forward/onballer Brodie Mabilia after a long-term injury. Mabilia kicked two of the team’s first three goals in a defining opening quarter by the Power before taking a turn on the ball in a gruelling game at the stoppages.

Wonthaggi set up the victory by being fast out of the blocks, quickly responding to the first goal by Tiger spearhead Brandon McDonald, and a crazy miss from 10 metres out by Charlie Burr with goals to Mabilia (2) and Hunter Tizani.

Sparkes was leading the push away from the stoppages with Patterson, Bates and Thomas also engaged but 203cm Tiger ruckman Isaac Abas was a force to be reckoned with and the club was well served by Rosato, Caile, Macfarlane and others who got better the further the game went.

A classy running goal by Noah Anderson, the result of a shuddering tackle by Connor Macmillan, was great to watch and when Jarryd Blair capped off a five-goal-to-one opening with a late strike, the Power were looking good at the first huddle.

But Morwell had missed three they might easily have got, and with talented journeyman defender Stephen Mills heading up much better effort in defence and Morwell’s on-ball division getting on top, they kicked three goals to one in the second quarter to get back on terms.

The third quarter was an enthralling arm-wrestle with both defences tightening the screws, Wonthaggi’s back six in particular, including Kyle Reid, Jye Gilmour, Jarvis Harvey, Fergus O’Connor, Issac Chugg and co, doing well with Morwell winning 10 to six around the ground clearances and getting silver service from big Abas.

When Morwell playmaker Brandon Mcauliffe combined with McDonald for a goal midway through after a disastrous Power turnover, the cheers went up from the big Tiger turnout in front of the social club, and it was game on!

In the run to the line, Morwell’s Brandon McDonald kicked two more goals in the opening minutes of the last quarter to cut Wonthaggi’s lead to just three points, so when Jarryd Blair stuck a great tackle on the dangerous Morwell onballer Anthony Rosato in the teeth of the Power goal, his kick from 15 metres out looked set to restore a buffer.

Inexplicably, he missed it.

You don’t often get a chance to redeem yourself in such a tight match however after Ryan Sparkes kicked a crucial one from 50 metres out to stretch the lead to 11 points at the 22-minute mark, Blair got that chance after a great tackle by Noah Anderson produced a turnover.

The captain Josh Bates found Blair in space and this time he snapped truly to make it a neat three goals at 27 minutes.

Morwell got a late one after a free kick to Josh Galea but the Power had withstood a Morwell fightback in front of the Tiger faithful to record a memorable win, taking a crucial ‘four points’ in the context of the season.