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Bombers pay for missed chances

From Bendigo Advertiser

THE Metricon Bendigo Bombers remain stuck on just one win after five rounds of the VFL season after losing a thriller to Williamstown at Burbank Oval yesterday.

The Seagulls prevailed 15.15 (105) to 14.18 (102) to leave the Bombers in 11th position on the ladder.

It's the second time this season the Bombers have lost a game by under 10 points after they were also beaten by reigning premier Sandringham by seven points in round three.

'‘It's very frustrating losing these close games - even last year we couldn't win the close ones, so it's something we need to work on," Bombers' captain Simon Rosa said.

‘‘We played better today as a team, which is something we've been lacking in other weeks, but if we can sneak home in a close game we can probably get our season started." Last year, the Bombers lost four games by under 10 points.

The Bombers started the game well, leading Williamstown by 18 points at the first change, before the Seagulls cut the deficit to 12 points at half-time.

Williamstown then added 8.6 to Bendigo's inaccurate 5.9 in the second half to ensure its fifth win in six encounters with the Bombers.

It was the conversion in front of goal that was the difference.

Roosters crash to worst loss in 4yrs

From Ballarat Courier

WERRIBEE embarrassed North Ballarat with its biggest defeat in four years in the Victorian Football League in Ballarat yesterday.
The Tigers thrashed the Selkirk Roosters by 100 points.

North Ballarat has to go back to round four in 2003 to find a bigger loss - when Tasmania walked all over the Roosters by 123 points.

Werribee looked anything but a team which up to arriving at AUSTAR Arena had not tasted victory as it turned on champagne football to run away 26.14 (170) to 10.10 (70).

Werribee was winless before arriving at AUSTAR Arena, and looked unlikely to change its record until turning on champagne football, finishing 26.14 (170) to 10.10 (70) winners.

Werribee has always had the wood on North Ballarat, winning 15 of 18 encounters since 1996.

And yesterday's score fell two points short of the Tigers' highest against North Ballarat.

Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald was almost lost for words as he searched for reasons behind his team's demise.

VFL Round 5 results


Tasmania def. by Box Hill Hawks (12.10-82 13.17-95)
Tasmania2.25.28.812.10-82
Box Hill Hawks2.77.129.1513.17-95


North Ballarat def. by Werribee (10.10-70 26.14-170)
North Ballarat6.47.89.810.10-70
Werribee4.211.720.826.14-170

Williamstown def. Bendigo Bombers (15.15-105 14.18-102)
Williamstown2.57.912.1215.15-105
Bendigo Bombers5.59.911.1414.18-102


Frankston def. by Sandringham (10.8-68 14.8-92)
Frankston3.16.28.610.8-68
Sandringham6.38.612.814.8-92


Northern Bullants def. by Port Melbourne (10.8-68 15.12-102)
Northern Bullants3.23.310.610.8-68
Port Melbourne4.27.410.715.12-102

Sandy too good for Dolphins

From Frankston FC website
Reported by Michael Robinson

A good crowd came to Frankston Park to see the Battle of the Bayside. Sandy got off to a good start controlling the game and kicking 6 first quarter goals and despite the efforts of Aaron Murray kicking 3 golas himself, the Zebra took a 20 point lead into quarter time.

The Dolphins fought back in the second quarter kicking the 1st 3 goals to get within 2 points until the Zebras added 2 themselves to lead by 16 points at half time.

Frankston tried hard to stay with Zebras in the 3rd quarter but again a couple of late Zebra goals gave Sandy a 26 point lead at the final change.

Again Frankston came out and kicked the 1st 2 goals of the final quarter to get within 2 goals but goals to former Dolphin Ryan Ferguson and Peter Summers sealed a 4 goal win for the Zebras.

Cats thrash Scorpions

From the Sunday Age

Reported by Sean Cusick
Full article Click here


GEELONG has continued its hot VFL form by smashing the Scorpions by 81 points at Casey Fields, but the win was marred as former captain Steven King was reported for tripping.

The Cats were bolstered by three of last week's AFL players, Mathew Stokes, Brent Prismall and King, and all were instrumental in the match.

King, the 189-game AFL veteran, threw his right leg out and collected Casey captain Nigel Carmody late in the final quarter. King was falling down at the time and completely off balance and Carmody was able to jump straight up to take his kick, which may work in King's favour at the tribunal.

The star-studded Geelong line-up was too strong for Casey, which had flogged Box Hill by 129 points at the same ground three weeks ago.

Stokes was best on ground, collecting 32 touches and kicking two goals. Prismall looked the matchwinner at half-time, with 23 possessions and two goals. But due to emergency duties in Geelong's twilight showdown with Richmond today, he didn't return to the field after the break.

Hawks too steady for fighting Devils

From Sunday Examiner
Reported by Phil Edwards

THE Tassie Devils fought valiantly but suffered their fourth straight loss of the season going down to the Box Hill Hawks by 13 points in their VFL clash at Bellerive Oval yesterday.

The Devils played with plenty of commitment and desire and refused to give up in a frenetic last quarter in which they kicked four goals against the wind to twice get within six points of the Hawks.

But a Jarryd Morton goal at the 24-minute mark steadied the Hawks as Tasmania pressed the advantage before Beau Dowler's after-the-siren shot gave Box Hill a 13.17 (95) to 12.10 (82) victory.

Devils' coach Daryn Cresswell would have been heartened by his side's work rate and effort but frustrated still by skill errors and poor decision-making in disposal which proved costly throughout the game.

The bottom of the ladder Hawks were winless before yesterday's game but fielded their best side so far this season against the Devils with 10 AFL-listed players including the senior experience of Joel Smith, Beau Muston, Josh Thurgood and Zac Dawson.

Tassie left in limbo

From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

AFL Tasmania will not enter a new three-year agreement with AFL Victoria while the future of the VFL remains unknown.

The Devils three-year VFL license expires at the end of this season.

AFL Tasmania chairman Dominic Baker and general manager Scott Wade discussed the situation with AFL Victoria chairman Bob Tregear and chief executive Peter Schwab late yesterday.

The AFL is currently reviewing the second-tier competition. A report is to be handed down later this year.

The review is believed to focus on the competitions or teams where AFL-listed players will play when not selected in their senior teams.

Schwab, a former Hawthorn player and coach, said the review has made it hard for VFL clubs to plan for the future.

"Until they complete that review we are all sort of guessing really," Schwab said yesterday.

From WAFL website

Peel Thunder midfielder Hayden Ballantyne has been added to the WA State squad that will take on Victoria on Saturday, May 26.

Ballantyne kicked three goals in his team's loss to Subiaco last Saturday. The 19-year-old from Baldivis who made his WAFL debut in 2005 and has played 26 senior games, has kicked 11 goals in five games so far this season, including four goals against East Perth in Round 4. The training squad now stands at 34 with the omissions of Mathew Seal, Tallan Ames, Justin Sprigg and Blake Broadhurst. Broadhurst injured a shoulder in the Lions win over Perth in Round 5 and was always going to be in a race against time to be fit for the game against the VFL at TEAC Oval in Victoria.

WA State coach Ashley Prescott said the inclusion of Ballantyne was proof that if players continued to show good form there was still room for inclusion in the State squad.

"He is just a genuinely quick player who could be used to burst through the middle and he is also capable of kicking a few goals," Prescott said.

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