In a tight-fought game that would come down to the dying minutes, the Lakers had started too slowly, despite winning the opening ruck contests, but still allowed Gembrook-Cockactoo to quickly break free in the opening term, with the Brookers then quickly taking early control of the game, handing Kinglake their first loss, by just a point, since Yarra Junction in round eight.
This was a game that went “down to the wire” with Kinglake leading by five points in the dying seconds, Gembrook was just too good on the day.
Kinglake reserves did not fair so well either with many “under” players stepping up to play seconds footy, due to injured senior players, it was up to retired players ‘gearing up’ and some of the under 18’s boys too, having a bye this weekend, to step up to reserve grade football. Whilst the Lakers still lost, it was a great opportunity to put some of “the under 18’s boys” into the big league.
After all, these young men, whilst losing the game, are well on their way to being the future “big guns” of the Kinglake Football Club.
In netball, Kinglake’s U/17 side travelled to Mt Evelyn in a tightly fought game, only losing by three points. D Grade netball secured a four-point win over the Brookers, with C Grade losing by six goals and the B Grade side having played Alexandra on Thursday night in a ‘catch-up’ game that Kinglake netballers would lose unfortunately by forty-two points.
Early in the first quarter, the Lakers had lost their way, dropping marks and missing two set shots, then giving away two 50-metre penalties.
Until midway through the first term, despite some shots at goal late into the first term, and Josh “Nicko” Nixon holding the fort, it would be a tight-fought affair, with the Brookers adding two more goals late in the first term.
It was the Brookers who would go into the opening break with a 16-point lead, Kinglake 3.3 (21) to the Brookers 6.1 (37). The Lakers laid eleven tackles and had eight clearances to Gembrook’s six, with the Lakers having 15 inside 50s to the Brookers 13 in the opening term, but the Brookers were still leading.
Into the second term and it would again be Gembrook who put the first score on the board. Kinglake started to play a more disciplined style of football, but despite the extra discipline and while Puffing Billy chugged past, the Lakers could not find their way, struggling to match the Brooker’s intensity.
Kinglake managed six tackles and seven clearances to the Brookers’ six clearances. With Kinglake having nine inside 50 to the Brookers’ 16, it was game on.
After the half-time break, the Lakers would come out a much tighter and more focused outfit, with “Crowie” stepping up several times.
Unfortunately, the Lakers saw many more penalties awarded against them as the Brookers bought the challenge to the Lakers.
By the end of the third quarter, the Brookers were slowing down, whilst the Lakers picked up, leaving Kinglake with a one-goal margin to catch, heading into the final term as both sides started to run out of steam. Whilst the Lakers managed to level the scores in the dying minutes it would not be good enough to win the game.
Next week, Kinglake has a bye whilst Gembrook-Cockatoo plays Thornton-Eildon at Thornton.
Kinglake’s next game is on the hill (home) against Thornton-Eildon on July 30. as the AFL Yarra Ranges (formerly the Yarra Valley Mountain District FNL) heads towards the finals series.
SENIORS
KINGLAKE: 3.3, 6.6, 9.13, 14.15 (99)
GOALS: Josh Nixon 3, Brad Wilkinson 3, Bailey Robinson 2, Matt Robertson, Andrew Whelan, Matt Robertson, Andrew Whelan, Luke Forsyth, Geoff Hibberd, Ben Tampion BEST: Adrian Beales, Andrew Whelan, Jack Crowe, Jaydyn Butterworth, Rob Mallsion.
GEMBROOK-COCKATOO: 6.1, 10.4, 11.6, 15.10 (100)
GOALS: Dan Leversha 2, Shannon Richardson 2, Craig Clarke, Paul Gramc, Leigh Scott, Andrew Shipp, Simon Ponter, Dylan Scott, Ben Fenton, Liam Henzen.
BEST: Dan Leversha, Andrew Shipp, Matt Maddison, Leigh Scott, Paul Gramc, Craig Clarke.
RESERVES
KINGLAKE: 0.0, 1.0, 1.0 1.0 (6)
GOALS: Mitchell McAuley
BEST: Liam Styles. Adam Butterworth, Jacob Harward, Ryan Hurst, Clint Booker, Nathan Booket.
GEMBROOK-COCKATOO: 7.1, 11.4, 13.9, 15.15 (105)
GOALS: Alex Schueddekopf 4, Bradley Moore 2, Daniel Cock 2, Daniel Wilkie 2, Matthew Hobson, Beau McLean, Daniel Gee, David Neal, Jacob Van Der Zwart.
BEST: Ben Turner, G. Hartridge, Alex Scueddekopf, Beau McLean, Matt Hobson, Bradley Moore.
UNDER 18s
BYE
NETBALL B GRADE (Played Thursday 14/7 at Kinglake)
KINGLAKE: 3, 5, 13, (19)
GOALS: Kelsey Smith 8, Karsha Hoyt 3, Amy Teodorovic 5, Hayley Bawden 2.
BEST: Hawley Bawden, Taryn Smith, Renee Wilson.
ALEXANDRA: 12, 24, 41, (61)
GOALS: Ashleigh Saunders 39, Shannon Kleesh 19, Jessica Holliday 16.
BEST: Emma Kidd, Ellie Hedger, Kathryn Veldman.
NETBALL C GRADE
KINGLAKE: 8, 13, 25 (29)
GOALS: Not available
BEST: Not available
GEMBROOK-COCKATOO: 9, 15, 22, (35)
GOALS: Emily Kee 20, Kaylene Clarke 15.
BEST: Kelsey Wilson, Mikailey Uren, Jemah McInerney.
NETBALL D GRADE
KINGLAKE: 5, 17, 22, (28)
GOALS: Olivia Turner-Dickinson 16, Jaquelynn Pascoe 12, Stacey Chalmers 3.
BEST: Not available
GEMBROOK-COCKATOO: 6, 14, 21, (24)
GOALS: Madison Francis 13, Jessie Forthun 11.
BEST: Jessie Forthun, Carly Clarke, Hollie Burton.
NETBALL UNDER 17
KINGLAKE 5, 11, 23, (28)
GOALS: Kelsey Smith 20, Ashlyn Mosedale 5, Molly McAllister 3.
BEST: Kelsey Smith, Ashlyn Mosedale, Ellie Hendrie-McDonald.
MT EVELYN 10, 18, 23, (31)
GOALS: Georgia Marsh 17, Caitlin Humm 14.
Article first published as “Mixed bag for Kinglake” The Yea Chronicle, July 20, 2016 p.16; “Down to the wire: Lakers run out of ‘puff’ ” The Local Paper, July 20, 2016, p.14; and “Brookers snare thrilling one-point win” The New Free Press, July 20, 2016, p.12.
