THE scoreboard was not pretty for Inglewood when Charlie McGaw sparked some hope in Saturday’s clash with Loddon Valley leaders Marong.

The evebntual heavy loss showed again the dominance of Marong. It also saw a weak spot exposed in its game plan.

The Panthers like to run rampant and when challenged, tackled and stopped by opponents, become more than a little testy.

That happened multiple times in the final term when Inglewood refused to meekly surrender the league’s current colossus that, like the Blues, has spent more years outside the five in the past two decades than most.

It was a sign of Inglewood’s improvement this season that the spirit of contest continued despite an intimidating scoreboard and a game style in the same vein from the Panthers.

It worked early in the game for Marong and only came to a stop right on the quarter time siren when McGaw slotted through the Blues’ only score of the term.

Inglewood had been unable to replicate its stunning start against Marong, now on a 24-game winning streak, earlier in the season that had the Panthers playing catch up for the first half.

But McGaw’s late goal put spark into the Blues for a four-goal second term to the Panthers’ 6.1. One came late when McGaw chipped to Connelly to cap off a more solid quarter.

The second half very much belonged to Marong - six goals in the third and then eight in the last as the Panthers raced to another 100-plus point victory.

Brayden Grenfell was on his way to eight goals for the match, slotting the ball from 50 metres out or twisting play on the top of the goal square.

Grenfell was voted best on ground and received the Kaye Cohalan Medal. Marong used multiple avenues to goal - Robins with six and Taylor four among another nine entering their name on the scoresheet.

The Polack brothers were constantly driving attacks and orchestrating turnovers for Inglewood.

Marong had to play a very tight defence deep, congesting Inglewood’s square and limiting the home side to a single goal in the second half. The Panthers showed polish but have left some questions about capacity to withstand challenges from clubs with more experienced players and further along the path of skill growth.

For Inglewood, the spirit on Saturday was not diminished as the Blues set sights on their first finals campaign in decades.

- CHRIS EARL

Tense start before seal is broken

BACKMEN were on their toes from the first bounce of Saturday’s flood recovery round between Newbridge and Bears Lagoon Serpentine.

Both sides were constantly going deep before Callum Draper broke through with a snap for goal nine minutes in and paved the way for a seven-goal opening term for the Bears.

Draper, Gadsen, Kemp and Gladman were key to opening quarter superiority, usually triggered by work in the centre and around the ground from ruckman Adrian Brohm.

Kemp also set up some clever play out of the centre as the clock ticked into time on and saw Jean-Miguel Podosky run into open goal.

Beau Roy-Clements puts in another strong game for Bears Lagoon Serpentine. LH PHOTO

SENIORS

Two quick goals to Newbridge, including one off the boot of Blake Harris, had the Maroons with their first majors before the break.

In Front Of Goal

67 - (8) - Brandyn Grenfell - Marong

40 - (6) - Kain Robins - Marong Seniors

39 - (0) - Joshua Martyn - Bridgewater

30 - (2) - Charlie McGaw - Inglewood

26 - (4) - Ryley Taylor - Marong

25 - (1) - Matthew Riordan - Marong

24 - (4) - Andrew Gladman - BL Serpentine

22 - (0) - Justin Laird - BL Serpentine

21 - (2) - Bailey George - Pyramid Hill

18 - (0) - Sam Dorevitch - Inglewood

18 - (4) - Will Perryman - Pyramid Hill 17 - (0) - Jack McCaig - Marong

17 - (1) - Keelan Payne - Inglewood

17 - (1) - Zach Alford - Pyramid Hill

17 - (0) - Jay Reynolds - Mitiamo

17 - (0) - Ben Baker - Calivil United RESERVES

42 - (10) - Rowan Pollock - Pyramid Hill 28

While the Maroons had plenty of early play in the second, they lost Austin Fithall with a suspected wrist injury, before returning to the field,

Gladman was controlling up forward for Serpentine with an early goal, one of only two for the term as Newbridge put up a real fight.

At the other end of the ground, Aidan Moore was leading the overtime-working Newbridge defenders.

Serpentine shook off the determined home side with six-goal third quarter and followed up with another four in the final term.

Gladman finished with four goals but again played the team style that saw nine other Bears finish the day with goals.

Charlie Gadsen was named the beston-ground and received the flood recovery round medal. Angus Fortune, Romer and McLeod were best for Newbridge.

THIS SATURDAY

JUNE 17

Bears Lagoon Serpentine v Pyramid Hill

Newbridge v Marong

Bridgewater v Inglewood

Newbridge 2.0 2.2 3.3 5.3 (33) BL Serpentine 7.2 8.4 14.7 16.12 (108)

GOALS - Newbridge: D. Stevens, C. Sanders, B. Pearce, B. Harris, L. Nihill. Bears Lagoon Serpentine: A. Gladman 4, C. Draper, N. Kemp, A. Brohm 2, H. Gadsden, C. Gadsden, L. Mott, K. Paxton, J. Bailey, J. Podosky.

Maiden Gully 1.1 1.3 2.3 5.5

(35)

(60)

Inglewood 1.0 5.0 6.2 6.6

(42)

Marong 10 10 0 1626 266 611.28 40 Pyramid Hill 9 8 1 1059 599 211.80 32 BL Serpentine 10 8 2 951 764 124.48 32 Bridgewater 10 6 4 690 714 96.64 24 Inglewood 10 5 5 969 926 104.64 20 Calivil 10 2 8 551 925 59.57 8 Maiden Gully 10 2 8 452 965 46.84 8 Newbridge 10 2 8 458 1047 45.26 8 Mitiamo 9 1 8 470 1119 42.00 4

Inglewood 1.0 3.0 4.1 6.1 (37) Marong 6.4 7.7 10.12 13.16 (94)

GOALS - Inglewood: K. Simpson 3, J. Phillips, K. Ngawati, S. Dundas. Marong: N. McCaig 3, B. Matthews, T. Grant 2, Z. Turnbull, R. Gretgrix, R. Hender, C. Thiesz, J. Gretgrix, W. Beagley.

Grant.

Maiden Gully 2.2 2.3 3.4 4.6

(45)

Hill

7.1 16.8 22.13 32.15

(13)

GOALS - Pyramid Hill: R. Pollock 10, T. Nunn 5, D. Lovell, T. Aitken 4, L. Pollock 3, N. Moon, D. Mann 2, L. Dillon, P. Gargan. Calivil: D. Ryan.

Newbridge 2.3 2.4 3.5 4.5

(29)

(41)

GOALS - Newbridge: M. Kirley, L. Hoskin, C. Grant, J. Dawkins. Bears Lagoon Serpentine: P. Russell, A. Edwards, J. Gladman, C. Anstee, D. Tineo.

BEST - Newbridge: J. Dawkins, C. Grant, O. Gordon, T. Wilson, O. Friswell, M. Kirley. Bears Lagoon

(2) - Bradley Matthews - Marong 17

(1) - Clay Anstee - BL Serpentine

Marong 10 10 0 1187 219 542.01 40 BL Serpentine 10 8 2 535 514 104.09 32 Pyramid Hill 9 7 2 783 377 207.69 28 Newbridge 10 4 6 589 523 112.62 16 Inglewood 10 4 6 569 586 97.10 16 Maiden Gully 10 4 6 471 641 73.48 16 Bridgewater 10 3 7 385 623 61.80 12 Mitiamo 9 2 7 388 607 63.92 8 Calivil 10 2 8 255 1072 23.79 8