The weather had the football bending like a boomerang on Sunday afternoon as the Murray Bushrangers Boys took on the Gippsland Power in the wildcard round of the Coates Talent League.
At La Trobe University Oval in Bundoora, the Bushies got off to a fast start against the Power thanks to a significant wind advantage.
The Bushrangers couldn’t make the most of their opportunities, but they still held a 22-7 lead at quarter-time.
In the second term, the Power fought back.
Facing the blustery conditions, the Bushies were kept scoreless in the second quarter and trailed by 12 points at the main break.
With the wind behind them in the third, the Bushrangers again couldn’t capitalise when going inside 50, kicking 2.4 for the term — the scores sat 35-38 in the Bushies’ favour at three-quarter time.
In the final quarter, the Power edged past their opponents, claimed a seven-point victory and moved on to next weekend’s quarter-final match against Dandenong.
Bushrangers coach Mark Brown said that although there was a strong wind advantage at one end of the ground, the swirling breeze made football difficult no matter which way you were kicking.
“It was a shame that the season ended in the conditions that it did, not in the manner that it did,” Brown said.
“I thought the boys fought it out really well; it was just horrendous conditions and we didn’t capitalise on them in the first quarter.
“Having said that, the southern end was the scoring end, but even kicking with the breeze was hard to score.
“I think every football follower in Victoria has seen footage of Jack Whitlock trying to kick the football — that’s actually at the scoring end and it almost came back to him.”
In the Bushrangers’ final match of 2024, some potential draftees once again staked their claim as high-class players.
Jack Whitlock (Shepparton) had 24 touches, six marks, six hit-outs, four inside-50s and kicked 1.1 in an impressive display from the versatile key position player.
His brother Matt (Shepparton) had a quieter day in the trying conditions, kicking 1.1 from six disposals.
Underage young gun Riley Onley (Shepparton United) performed well, collecting 16 touches, four inside-50s and four tackles.
Euroa’s Cohen Paul finished his Coates Talent League season on a high with a 21-disposal and six-tackle effort, while Shepparton’s Ned Byrne had nine touches and three tackles.
Brown said the Bushrangers coaching staff has been impressed with their players’ individual development throughout the 2024 season.
“There is no doubt there is some top-end talent; the Whitlocks have had very good seasons, Joe Berry out of Benalla has had a fantastic season,” he said.
“Olly Warburton is to be commended as he is (playing school football) as well, which makes it a more difficult pathway because you are in and out of different programs.
“To play four Vic Country matches, to perform well and he is continuing to perform well — had 32 touches (and 10 rebound-50s) on the weekend.
“I think his best position is at half-back where he can read the cues well, he kicks it well — his game has developed.”
Sixteen-year-old young gun Tanner Armstrong (Rumbalara/Shepparton United) had 11 disposals in his third match at the level.
Brown said Armstrong had had a strong start to his time in the Coates Talent League.
“(Armstrong) has been impressive and that is not a complete surprise given he was All-Australian at under-16 level after having a great national carnival for Vic Country under-16s this year,” he said.
“He played more as a small defender (at the championships) and we played him more as a high half-forward and he has had an immediate impact.
“He hits the scoreboard, links the ground really well, has great game IQ and we threw him back at stages on the weekend.
“We will continue to develop him along those lines in the position that best fits his physical capabilities, but he is a very talented young footballer; there is no doubt about that.
“He goes about it the right way; he is tough, competitive and defends well.”
With the Bushrangers’ season officially ended, Brown said he and his coaches would now start their exit interviews with the players.
“From our point of view, we will exit them out over the next few weeks; we do that individually,” he said.
“We are also mindful that some have still got local footy finals to play, so we tend to leave them alone until their season completely finishes.
“The ones that are invited to national and state combines; we make sure they are sticking to their programs and preparing as best as they can for that.
“We just become a good resource for them and a good sounding board.
“It’s an exciting time for them with recruiter meetings and the like.”