The contest between third placed Cobram and sixth placed Mulwala looked set to define the two team’s ability to stay in touch with the league leaders at the half way point in the season.
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Senior SCORES
Cobram 3.3 3.6 6.6 7.8 (50)
Mulwala 3.1 6.2 6.3 10.6 (66)
Goals: Cobram: Darcy McCormack 3, Sam Gemmill 2, Nicholas Wines 1, Matthew DeMaio 1. Mulwala: Sean Robinson 3, Dylan Flanagan 2, Adam Rouel 1, Harrison Crossley 1, Anthony Sammut 1, Beau Clarke 1, Liam Russell 1.
Best: Cobram: Cadeyn Williams, Sam Gemmill, Samuel Beasley, Adam De Cicco, Nathan Hartley, Luca Allen. Mulwala: Sean Robinson, Liam Russell, Beau Clarke, Timothy Doyle, Damian Cook, Jackson Gash.
Cobram have been the master of the close wins in a very even season even with an injury depleted senior list.
Mulwala’s depth had been tested in recent weeks with the players stepping up doing a great job competing at the higher level and Saturday’s game was no exception.
Scott Oval in Cobram was in sensational condition and the perfect day for football meant the teams had no excuses.
The big ground has been a bit of a grave yard for Mulwala teams over the years with wins hard to come by and heavy losses common.
The extra incentive of celebrating Damien Cook’s one hundredth senior game was the edge Mulwala needed to help them over the line in an important game in the context of the season.
Cobram opened up attacking off the back of a slight breeze and were on the board early off repeat forward fifty entries that had Mulwala’s back six under constant pressure.
Tim Doyle was leading the back line well running the ball clear of the danger zone and helping to set up multiple attacking opportunities.
Beau Clarke had moved forward, and his long leads were causing issues for his Cobram opponent and opening up things for his fellow forwards.
His work rate was excellent, and he got Mulwala going on the scoreboard with a fine set shot from the pocket.
The backlines from both teams were working hard to shut down scoring options, with genuine scoring chances at a premium in the first half.
The number of turnovers through the middle of the ground by both teams was playing into the defenders’ hands and making their job easier.
An even first term had Cobram with their noses just in front, but Mulwala was able to capitalise on their opportunities during the second term to skip clear in the second term.
Jackson Gash was winning the ball around the contest teaming well with Hamish to get things flowing in Mulwala’s direction.
Sean Robinson was at his creative best winning clearances through the mid field off the great work of Hamish and hitting the scoreboard to help create the lead for Mulwala.
Cam Magher took on the unusual role of ruck when Hamish left the ground injured and battled really well against Cobram’s two genuine big men.
Mulwala’s smaller players like Harry Crossley, Tom Dow, Brad Wilson, Liam Russell and Ely Boyer lifted their work rate after the long break which helped Mulwala to maintain the lead in what had turned into an epic battle.
Glenn Dominick has been taking on the big jobs down back in recent weeks and his close checking on Matt DeMaio was keeping the dangerous Cobram key forward under wraps.
The game was in the balance at the last break with Cobram three points up and Mulwala with the job in front of them with Hamish gone for the day.
A spark was needed to break the game open in the last term and a master stroke by the coaching staff to move Tim Doyle into the middle proved the difference.
Tim won the taps and followed up winning the ball at ground level to drive Mulwala into attack and into the lead.
Jackson Gash was leading from the front as Captain and he dragged the rest of the team along with him to create a much-needed win and very important four points in the context of a very close MFL season.
Flanagan had reset to the attacking goal square and the big fellow provided a much-needed target inside fifty and didn’t let the team down with multiple goals.
Mulwala managed to hold Cobram to just the single major in the last term and added four goals of their own to break clear in what had been an epic battle, which will set them up for a top four finish if they can beat the teams around them in coming week.
Reserves
Cobram 8.4.52 defeated Mulwala 7.7.49
Injuries across the club’s senior list has put the reigning reserves premiers under pressure to hold their position in the top eight at the midpoint in the season.
There has been a large number of players step up to fill the team over recent weeks and the addition of the two Sissons boys in the Mulwala team together for the first time since their thirds playing days was an amazing sight.
The reserves jumped out of the blocks well with goals on the board early from the boot of Toby goal sneak Sissons and strong work from Jake Savy and Andrew Maskell was keeping the Cobram forwards under control early in the game.
Beau Nixon was working hard in the middle of the ground to win the ball for the Mulwala smalls and that enabled the ball to be driven long to Cam Nye deep in the forward line.
Mulwala hit the wall in the second term, which allowed Cobram to go on an unbroken six goal scoring run but two late goals just before the long break kept Mulwala’s hopes alive.
The thirds boys who had achieved an epic win in their own game and then stepped up to help the reserves, were giving their all.
Zac Scott was his usual tenacious self-dragging down bigger opponents and he was getting good support from Reese Norman and Flynn Fletcher.
After the long break both teams found the wide-open spaces of Scott Oval to be a huge challenge. Sam Willett was one player who still had run in his legs and he won plenty of the ball across half back to shut down Cobram’s attacking moves and create chances for Mulwala.
The scoring by both teams ground to a halt in the second half of the game and despite some good work by Andrew Miller as a high half forward Mulwala just couldn’t convert their chances and Cobram hung on for a five-point win.
Goals: Cobram: Simon Hicks 3, Jonathan Grant 2, Nicholas De Cicco 1, Phillip Buxton 1, Antonio Ventre 1.
Mulwala: Beau Nixon 2, Toby Sissons 2, Joshua Ednie 1, Lachlan Orr 1, Corey Lindsay 1.
Best: Cobram: Ayden Latessa, Jackson Neville, Max Mackay, Thomas Ryan, Kade Zito, Matthew Clydesdale.
Mulwala: Jake Savy, Andrew Miller, Corey Lindsay, Reece Norman, Zach Scott, Toby Sissons.
Thirds
Cobram 5.4.34 defeated by Mulwala 5.9.39
Goals: Mulwala: Kyle Abikhair 1, Connor Phibbs 1, Liam Martin 1, Addison Psaltiras 1, Flynn Fletcher 1.
Cobram: Matte Allen 1, Ryan Mele 1, James Curtin 1, Will Slatterie 1, Lewis McShane 1.
Best: Mulwala: Zach Scott, Flynn Fletcher, Joshua Spain, Brock Conway, Kyle Abikhair, Joshua Ednie.
Cobram: Jack Hindson, Darcy Kennedy, Dylan Langshaw, Jack Beasley, River Loizou, Lewis Kennedy.
No report submitted.
Fourths
Cobram 15.21.111 defeated Mulwala 0.1.1
Goals: Cobram: Kevin Griffin 4, Osgar Quinane 4, Ethan Baxa 2, Taiten Rudd 2, Mikael Corso 2, Levy Tejones 1.
Best: Mulwala: Dillon Kirchen, Zackary Oliver, Brock Johnson, Oliver Watson, Alec Williams, Jaxen Wheeler.
Cobram: Kevin Griffin, Callum Hulley, Pongsagon Suphun, Levy Tejones, Osgar Quinane, Isaac Crawford.
Awards: Wingates Intersport- Alec Williams, Mcneil Concreting- Zac Oliver, Lake Mulwala Bakery- Dillon Kirchen, Papalias Pizza- Jaxen Wheeler.