Sport
23 June, 2026
Navarre overpower Avoca by 83 points
Navarre has produced a dominant three-quarter performance to defeat Avoca by 83 points at Avoca Public Park on Saturday.
In what was expected to be a competitive contest, the Bulldogs matched the Grasshoppers for much of the opening term.
Avoca’s midfield worked hard around the stoppages, while Daniel Howell, Alexander Hay, and Jordan Thomas found plenty of the football.
Nathan Coghlan returned to the Avoca team from what was expected to be a season-ending injury and kicked the first goal of the game.
At quarter time, Navarre held only a narrow three-point advantage, leading 2.5 (17) to 3.2 (20).
However, the game changed dramatically in the second quarter as Navarre took complete control.
The visitors piled on seven goals for the term while restricting Avoca to just one major.
Sam Rickard and Riley Bibby were instrumental in the surge, repeatedly finding space inside 50 and capitalising on quality delivery from a midfield led by Oliver Notting, John Jok, and Bradley Slorach.
By half-time, Navarre had transformed a three-point deficit into a commanding 38-point lead.
The Grasshoppers continued their dominance after the main break, kicking a further seven goals to two in the third quarter.
Avoca battled hard through Hay, Byron Wynd, and Alexander Riches, but the visitors’ relentless pressure and ball movement proved too difficult to contain.
With Rickard and Bibby continuing to hit the scoreboard, Navarre extended the margin to 69 points at the final change.
The final quarter followed a similar pattern, with Navarre adding four goals to two to complete a convincing 20.15.(135) to 8.4.(52) victory.
Rickard and Bibby finished with six goals each, in a devastating display from the Navarre forwards.
The Grasshoppers also received strong contributions across the ground from Notting, Slorach, Jok, Arley Perry, and Bibby.
For Avoca, Hay, Howell, Wynd, Riches, Thomas and Toby Beavis battled hard throughout the afternoon, but the Bulldogs were unable to match Navarre’s run, skill, and scoreboard pressure after quarter time.