The Eagles might be missing some of its star midfielders, but one youngster’s monster performance has helped steer Newtown & Chilwell to a thrilling victory over Leopold in just his 22nd game of senior footy.
In the seesawing affair at Elderslie Reserve, the Eagles kicked away on the final term to win 12.7 (79) to 11.4 (70), the fifth time in the sides’ last seven appearances where the result was less than 10 points.
McMahon said he was proud of his side’s performance in the absence of captain Matthew McMahon and midfield gun Blake Sutterby.
“Our older and mature players were fantastic, they really helped set up the win late and could be counted on,” he said.
“Having our younger players around some of our more mature guys who have plenty of experience has been a pleasure to watch really, it adds something a bit different and they’re going to be better for it.”
Forward Lachlan Bond booted three goals and was a constant threat in marking contests, while Connor Fopiani spent the majority of the second half following Lions skipper Marcus Thompson around.
GFL: Newtown v Leopold. No 41. Euriah Hollardfor Newtown.
McMahon said there was always a clear plan to send Fopiani to Thompson during the contest.
“It’s something that we talked about during the week, we didn’t want to start the game negatively hence why we didn’t start with that,” he said.
“But he was always going to spend a fair big of time on him, we thought he did a really good job, considering he’s only played about 20 games of senior football and he was playing on what is, in my mind, the best midfielder in the competition at the moment.
GFL: Newtown v Leopold. No 5. Ned harris for Newtown.
“He had 42 disposals last week against St Joseph’s and he was instrumental in their win, so to see him being moved around the ground outside of his usual position was certainly pleasing for us, knowing that Connor was doing a good job.”
Thompson had moments throughout the first half, as well as the last quarter, but the Lions relied on a different-looking centre bounce brigade late in the game, with Luke Justin impressing as a clearance specialist after spending much of the season on the wing.
Leopold coach Garry Hocking said he was impressed by Justin’s performance in the loss, but it was not a long-term move.
Luke Justin for Leopold.
“I thought we needed a bit of spark around the ball, and he can run and carry the footy really well while also being a good size with a raking left boot,” he said.
“He was really good around the ball, Fopiani started to get a hold of Marcus Thompson so we took away Fopiani’s strength and put ‘Pup’ on the wing, which allowed Luke to really get in there.
“I think it’s just now and then for Luke in there, but he played well, we were really happy with his performance.”
Around the Grounds
Grovedale has kicked away to a commanding 92-point victory over St Albans, with Cameron Delaney feasting with five goals.
The Tigers booted 19.18 (132) to beat the Supersaints 6.4 (40), with 13 goals coming in the second half for Grovedale.
Ryan Abbott booted four for the Tigers, while Mitch Chafer also got in on the action with three majors.
Lara has recorded its second win of the season, beating North Shore 15.10 (100) to 9.7 (61) after the Seagulls led early.
Cats forward Mitch Day and Bailey Ettridge continued their impressive starts to the season with six and five goals respectively, while North Shore’s Jordan Lane also booted five majors in the loss.
After a tight opening quarter, St Mary’s has blasted away to beat Bell Park, kicking 11.14 to 4.3 in the remaining three periods to win 13.19 (97) to 6.6 (42).
The Saints shared the avenue to goals, with Sam Dobson, Patrick Dowling and Dion Johnstone all kicking two goals each, while a further seven players kicked one apiece.
Willson Mack kicked three for Bell Park in another impressive performance.
St Joseph’s has held off a late surge from Geelong West to continue its impressive start to the season, winning 11.11 (77) to 9.10 (64).
Paddy De Grandi impressed again, with the Joeys forward putting together a fantastic start to the season, booting five goals against the Giants.
David Handley was Geelong West’s best player in his return to the GFL, playing his first game of the season.
South Barwon has shocked Colac with a massive 17.12 (144) to 8.14 (62) victory down the highway.
Swans forward Andrew Boseley booted six goals against the Tigers in his best game of 2023, moving South Barwon to a 3-2 record.
Jon Simpkin managed three goals for Colac, while Adam Garner and Kane Smartt booted two each.