A game for the ages

YOUTH and veterans cheered from both sides of the fence to give Calivil its second Loddon Valley league victory of the season in the club’s heritage round at Raywood on Saturday.

The old Northern United headquarters saw Calivil coach Anthony Dennis play his 100th game for the Demons on a ground now with short pockets at the Bendigo end.

But it was across the centre that Calivil United, to give the club its full name following the merger with Northern United back at the end of 1996, set up a consecutive win, this time over Maiden Gully.

Winger Rhys Lourie was awarded the Kevin Demeo medal for his relentless skill and speed over four quarters.

Lourie chipped in two of the Demons’

13 goals that brought pride to the maroon and gold jumpers of Northern United brought out of mothballs for the game.

Justin Hynes was another of the great four-quarter contributors while Ben Baker proved influential with telling marks in defence in the second and third terms when Calivil firstly withheld an Eagles’ push and then put a five-kick difference on the scoreboard at the final break. Both teams at times played a very indirect brand of football, kicking back or across ground to frustrate their opponents.

Tom Wakefield had timing down to the split-second when about to be tackled, his kick clearing the pack on the square and bouncing through for six points late in the third quarter.

Jordan Lea’s work in the midfield was capped off by a Jake Lawry goal within seconds of the final term starting. Rhys Lourie popped through his second for the day straight after.

Play become frenetic and tense - Maiden Gully made the most of a Calivil lapse that saw Murley run into an open goal after Bacon had sent the Eagles into attack. A string of free kicks and ball-ups turned the final half of the term into a scrappy affair.

The old members’ bar erupted when the siren sounded - the old Swallows’ nest successful for Calivil in a season that Dennis says is about setting little goals and achieving them.

- CHRIS EARL