Soundly beaten on their home turf, the Saints find themselves heading back to the drawing board as they prepare for their final 2024 Goulburn Valley League outing.
After a 133-point loss, it's easy to point fingers in several directions, but for the Saints, turnovers once again proved to be their undoing.
As any football fan knows, the midfield battle often decides the outcome of a game. However, it's rare to see a scoreline of 147 to 14 where the clearance numbers favour the losing side. This game was one of those rare instances.
Benalla won the clearance count 45-36, thanks to another dominant performance from Mark Marriott, with Benalla leading the hit-outs 56-33. The Saints had the first opportunity at the ball for much of the game, but their ball use continues to hamper them.
Benalla finished the day with 295 total disposals, of which 96 were turnovers. This means that with every touch of the footy, Benalla had a 32.5 per cent chance of turning it over. That's a figure that must improve significantly as Benalla aims to climb the GVL ladder in 2025.
Turnovers breakdown - Benalla vs Euroa
Turnovers
Benalla: 96
Euroa: 64
Back turnovers
Benalla: 11
Euroa: 3
Midfield turnovers
Benalla: 55
Euroa: 39
Forward turnovers
Benalla: 30
Euroa: 22
Arguably Benalla’s top two players, star ruckman Mark Marriott recorded 11 turnovers from his 21 disposals, while star midfielder Chris Welsh had 17 turnovers from his 41 touches. The right players are getting enough of the footy for Benalla, but it appears to be the decision-making and execution that are letting them down.
Credit must be given to Euroa, as they applied relentless pressure all day. It’s not often you see a team win by so much and still dominate the tackle count. Many of Benalla’s turnovers were directly influenced by Euroa’s tackling pressure and will to chase and smother in an impressive performance all over the park.
Turnovers have had a substantial impact on the ladder this season. Four of the bottom five teams in the league also rank among the top-four worst turnover teams. This statistic alone can heavily influence a team's fortunes over the season.
For a young and inexperienced team dealing with a significant injury list, these outcomes can occasionally be excused. The Saints are a developing side, but they must address their ball use if they hope to rise up the ladder and achieve the success they’re striving for in 2025.