Sport
14 July, 2022
Big task ahead for Maryborough
The task of securing Maryborough’s first win of the season does not get any easier this week, as the Magpies travel to ladder-leading Gisborne. It’s the most daunting game the Magpies will probably face all season, with the all-conquering...
The task of securing Maryborough’s first win of the season does not get any easier this week, as the Magpies travel to ladder-leading Gisborne.
It’s the most daunting game the Magpies will probably face all season, with the all-conquering Bulldogs only dropping one game — that being their round 10 game against Sandhurst. As a result, that sees them sitting a game and percentage clear of Strathfieldsaye on top of the table.
Meantime, Maryborough come into this game off a 163-point loss to Golden Square — a far from ideal result, but one which, in comparison to their last meeting, saw them 55 points better off than their round three clash.
However, some work still has to be done. While the Magpies were able to win the clearances 39 to 36, they were unable to make gains when it came to getting the ball into the scoring zone, losing the inside 50s 28 to 84, while getting uncontested ball was an issue for the Magpies as well, losing out in that category 183-318.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Magpies, however. They were able to win the ball in the coalface, winning contested possessions 147-129.
From an individual point of view, Aiden Hare stuffed the stat sheet last Saturday, collecting 47 disposals and winning a staggering 17 clearances, while also doing work on the defensive end, laying 15 tackles. Captain Coby Perry was another to shine last Saturday, collecting 35 disposals, with Liam Latch getting the ball 32 times and Brady Neill — arguably the Magpies’ best player on Saturday — winning it 28 times from the ruck.
The Magpies will need more great individual efforts to take it up to Gisborne on Saturday afternoon. In their previous meeting in round four, the Magpies were reasonably competitive for three quarters, but a second quarter that yielded 10 goals to one in favour of the Bulldogs saw them take a 141-point victory, kicking 24.14 (158) to the Magpies’ 2.5 (17).