James Murphy
NORTH GAMBIER 13.10 (88) d EAST GAMBIER 10.4 (64)
A STRONG start from North Gambier set up a24-point win over the Bulldogs in Round 9 of Limestone Coast football on Saturday.
East Gambier had the home-ground advantage and although it made a strong comeback, was ultimately unable to undo the damage dealt in the first term.
The Tigers hit the park running and a five-goal opening quarter put them in front for the rest of the match.
The Bulldogs hit back somewhat in the second term, adding three majors to the one they scored in the first.
North still kicked three of its own in that time, which kept the guests up by 27 points heading into half time.
Sam Stafford was making his presence known for the Tigers and the star would go on to score a game-high six goals and earn the best-on-ground honours for the victors.
The third quarter was East’s best and it outscored North four goals to three.
However the gap remained too large in the end and an even fourth quarter kept them at arm’s length.
The final scoreline was 88-64, with Stafford playing a large role in that.
His six goals kept the scoreboard ticking over for North, while Dale Bachmann and Stephen Sochacki also popped up with two majors each.
Cameron Ortlepp was another standout and he was named second best, after Stafford, for his midfield efforts.
Bradley Adams also made an impact, while young-gun Mackye Baron continues to impress.
Experienced campaigner Brock Egan and playing co-coach Nick McInerney rounded out the Tigers’ best in a win which has elevated them to second on the ladder.
They now sit above South Gambier by percentage alone after the Demons lost to Millicent on the weekend.
East remains winless in 2024, but will take some merit from stages of Saturday’s game.
Giancarlo Cooper impressed in his 100th game for the Bulldogs, earning the best-on-ground honours.
The Lock trio of Nick, Sam and Shaun also featured highly in the best, while Alex Dethmore and Mark Rumbelow completed the list.
Unlike the Tigers, the Bulldogs shared the goalkicking responsibilities on the day, with coach Jake Dowdy, Shaun Lock, Beau Nunan and Rumbelow all slotting two each.
