Montmorency has made it seven consecutive games without defeat in the 2023 Northern Football Netball Legue’s s Division 1 competition, producing an inspiring 13-point victory over North Heidelberg at Shelley Reserve.
Trailing by 19 points at the final break, the Bulldogs charged to within a goal of victory, but the Magpies would regain their composure, escaping enemy territory to win 11.11 (77) to 9.10 (64).
The win keeps Montmorency in second position, two points behind top-of-the-table Heidelberg, while North Heidelberg, whose five-game winning streak ended with their defeat, has slipped to fifth spot.
Marcus Lentini produced another colossal performance from midfield. In his first game for the club since Round 5, he kicked three majors, sealing the match with an outstanding finish from the boundary.
Patrick Fitzgerald once again led the way up forward with three vital goals to take his 2023 tally to 41 majors, whilst young-gun Benjamin Crick hit the scoreboard twice at crucial moments of the match.
Kieren Jaksic stood up for the Bulldogs in the absence of current club-leading goal kicker Majak Daw, claiming three goals along with a handful of contested grabs.
He competed as the secondary ruck against the visitors’ Liam Wale-Buxton, who led intercept marking all over the ground.
The strong gusts would force inaccurate shots for Montmorency in the first quarter as they struggled to capitalise on turnovers but still led by 16 points at quarter time.
Braedyn Gillard starred in his first quarter of the year for the Magpies, proving his VFL pedigree by winning a contested ball around the forward 50 arc and kicking an early goal.
Jesse Tardio too impressed in his first game back for the home side from a minor injury, battling away courageously in a star-studded centre-circle.
The early parts of the second term were an inverse of the first, as North Heidelberg dominated possession and won the territorial battle.
Cooper Bugeja showed his rapid pace, storming past an array of opposition players on multiple occasions.
Goals from Brock Chircop and Liam Hunt narrowed the margin for the Bulldogs before Montmorency’s young stars took over.
In the final minutes, 21-year-old Nicholas Green speared a low drop punt through the big sticks from 30 metres out, before teammate Benjamin Crick produced a charismatic finish.
Amidst the high intensity of two in-form teams, he dribbled a magnificent goal from the boundary to nullify the earlier efforts of North Heidelberg. The finish would ensure Montmorency ended the half with a stable 15-point lead.
In the third term, the Magpies persisted with this momentum and looked close to running away to an unassailable margin.
Jarred Seiter led the team’s run, bursting with pace around the ground in just his 10th game of senior football.
Lentini, Crick and Fitzgerald all produced majors for Montmorency, and their advantage extended to a game-high 27 points.
However, 26 minutes into the third term, Kieren Jaksic took a superb mark parallel to the Montmorency bench. As the siren sounded, he approached confidently and sailed through a momentum-changing goal to reduce the deficit to 21 points at three-quarter time.
At three-quarter time, North Heidelberg coach Jason Heatley gave his team an inspiring rev-up, urging his team to stick to their principles and compete determinedly.
The men in red, white and blue answered his calls. After a move inside 50, Hamish Murphy took repeat grabs within his side’s front half and received a rapturous reception from the pavilion for his two goals that put the Bulldogs within 6 points.
Montmorency then looked to their leadership for a response.
Co-captain Sam Binion forced repeat turnovers through contested marks, and the ball found itself trapped within their forward 50, crucially taking time off the clock.
Patrick Fitzgerald then converted a clutch set shot, before Marcus Lentini sublimely navigated the ball for a goal from the boundary to ensure Montmorency would emerge victorious in an entertaining contest.
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