Magpies no match for bigger Lang Lang
POOWONG travelled to Lang Lang on Saturday for their Ellinbank and District Football Netball League clash, greeted by excellent conditions with a breeze blowing to the highway end worth three or four goals and a large crowd attending.
Unfortunately the Magpies were forced to make three changes, with Blake Williams returning to Darwin, Micah Williames out with a shoulder injury and Ryan Knight sidelined with a groin complaint.
The trio were replaced by three under-18 players in George Edwards, Bryce Broadmore and Johnathan Wilson.
Poowong are now down six senior players, leaving them with a very young, lightly built side.
They are hoping to have a couple of senior players back next week to help the young players against Buln Buln at home.
Lang Lang won the toss and kicked with the breeze, getting on the board early.
Poowong’s defence worked hard with Zac Gray and Jett Blackwood leading the tackling, but Lang Lang added five goals three before Gray marked down forward and kicked Poowong’s first.
The taller and stronger Lang Lang players were outmarking Poowong in contests and cutting off many forward attacks.
Considering the breeze, Poowong’s first quarter was encouraging.
Quarter-time: Lang Lang 5.3 (33) led Poowong 1.1 (7).
Poowong went forward a few times in the second only to see Lang Lang’s defence cut off the attacks, with the home side also adding a goal against the breeze.
Matthew Cozzio kicked Poowong’s second before Calvin Langford kicked a great goal.
The siren sounded before the Magpies could take advantage of their increased confidence.
Poowong would have liked a couple more goals with the breeze for their efforts, knowing the third quarter would require a big effort to hold Lang Lang with the wind.
Half-time: Lang Lang 6.3 (39) led Poowong 3.1 (19), a 20-point margin.
Zac Gray, Jett Blackwood, Conor Cunningham and Tom Sheedy were working hard with great support from the younger players.
The third quarter was a battle, with Lang Lang adding three goals three with the breeze to Poowong’s two points.
It was a good effort by Poowong to hold Lang Lang to three goals with the wind, but the question remained whether the young Magpies could keep it up against the bigger opposition.
Three-quarter-time: Lang Lang 9.6 (60) led Poowong 3.3 (21), a 39-point margin.
The final term started with a Lang Lang goal before Poowong replied through Jett Blackwood, but from there Lang Lang piled on five more goals to run out comfortable winners.
Final scores: Lang Lang 15.11 (101) defeated Poowong 4.3 (27).
Best players in a young Poowong team were Jett Blackwood, Thomas Sheedy, Bryce Broadmore, Bryce Riddell, Hayden Hessels and Joel Norton.
Goal kickers for Poowong were Conor Cunningham, Zac Gray, Calvin Langford and Jett Blackwood with one each.
The reserves struggled, going down 23.15 (153) to one point.
The under-18s lost 6.8 (44) to Poowong 2.5 (17), while the under-16s were the only winners, 13.16 (94) to Lang Lang 1.1 (7).
Poowong welcome Buln Buln in all grades at home next week, starting at 8.45am with the under-16s.
The seconds playing the thirds should be a good game.
