Murray Bushrangers have bounced back from last round’s disappointing performance against Dandenong Stingrays in convincing fashion.
The round 18 fixture between the Bushrangers and the Western Jets was held at Wangaratta Showgrounds, with the Bushies winning the match by 94 points.
Surprisingly, the first quarter was highly competitive as the 10th-placed Jets took a 31-22 lead over the seventh-placed Bushrangers at quarter-time.
A similar tale occurred in the second term, but the Bushrangers slowly gained ascendancy in the contest, winning the quarter 26-12 to take a five-point lead at the main break.
After half-time, the Bushrangers blasted the Jets into oblivion as they kicked seven goals to one in the third term.
The final quarter was as one-sided a contest as possible, with the Bushrangers outscoring the Jets by 51 points.
The final score was 23.13 (151) to 9.3 (57).
The Bushrangers’ lethal second half was thanks — in part — to the work of towering twins Jack and Matt Whitlock, who kicked 5.3 and 4.1 for the match, respectively.
Gun defender Oliver Warburton returned to the Bushrangers after finishing school football for Caulfield Grammar and a two-game stint in Collingwood’s VFL side.
Warburton had no trouble finding the football, collecting a game-high 30 disposals and seven rebound 50s.
Midfielder Riley Onley was named best-on-ground for the Bushrangers after his 20-disposal performance.
Tanner Armstrong, 16, (formerly Rumbalara and now Shepparton United product) impressed in his Coates Talent League debut.
After earning All Australian honours at the Under-16 National Carnival earlier in the year, Armstrong’s stocks continued to rise thanks to his performance against the Jets, where he finished with 18 disposals, six marks and a goal.
Euroa’s Cohen Paul (13 disposals) and Darby Wilson (16 disposals and four tackles) were busy for the Bushrangers, while Shepparton Swans’ Mitch Grumley chipped in with a goal.
The Bushrangers’ final round of the home and away season is against Bendigo Pioneers at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.
For the girls’ side, captain Holly Egan once again led from the front, collecting 31 disposals in the Bushrangers’ 45-point loss to Gippsland Power at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Egan, who never seems to produce a bad performance, also recorded nine rebound 50s, five tackles and seven marks.
Nathalia’s Olivia Thompson (eight disposals and three tackles) and Shepparton United’s Ashanti Walker (six disposals) made their Bushrangers debut, with Walker impressively featuring among the best in her first Coates Talent League outing.
United’s Ellie Armstrong kicked a goal and had nine disposals in her third game for the season in Bushies colours.
Fellow Demons products Matilda Henderson (five disposals and five tackles) and Leila Creevey (nine disposals) also worked hard against the Power.
The girls’ last game of the season is against Bendigo Pioneers at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday afternoon, with the Bushies still hunting for their first win of the season.