Sport
27 May, 2025
Navarre take strong 37-point win over Maldon
A magnificent six-goal second-quarter allowed Navarre to hop past Maldon by 37 points, creating some breathing room between themselves and the rest of the finals chasing pack.
With Navarre and Maldon entering this game with 12 points each, both teams were keen to add a four-point buffer to their fellow finals contenders.
It seemed destined the Bombers would take that buffer in a high-scoring affair at the end of an entertaining first quarter.
After the Grasshoppers scored the first 13 points with goals from Rylan Gooden and Daniel Reading, the Bombers kicked four goals straight through Natnael McLaren, Mitchell Colston and debutant Liam Frye to lead by 13 points at quarter-time.
Navarre brought themselves back to one point midway through the second quarter before the contest briefly turned into the Riley Bibby show.
The Grasshoppers star kicked consecutive goals in the second term to turn the game on its head, with Navarre leading by 23 at half time.
The Bombers needed to respond quickly to quell the momentum at Navarre Sports Complex and get themselves back into the match.
However, the Grasshoppers’ defence, headlined by the efforts of Bradley Carter and Nick Birthisel, was almost impassable, conceding just two points in the third quarter as Navarre took a 35-point lead into the final break after a low-scoring quarter.
With the Grasshoppers keen to slow the game down to preserve the result, points were scarce for the Bombers in the final term.
Maldon managed to get a goal back through ruckman Bailey Brown, but Navarre controlled the majority of the quarter to secure the victory.
Carter, Birthisel, Oliver Notting, Brady Tillig, Zak Varley and Harry Bigmore were named the best players for the hosts, with Bibby finishing with four goals and Bigmore, Sam Rickard and Wil Clough kicking two.
Maldon’s best players were Isaiah Hartley, Matthew Gray, Xavior Noy, Ash Humphrey, Max Johns and Callum Buchanan.