Despite a valiant effort in the first half of their round eight match-up against back-to-back premiers Echuca, the Benalla Saints let another game slip through their fingers.
As expected, Echuca came out firing despite not being as accurate as they might have hoped, nabbing four goals and nine behinds to Benalla’s single goal and behind in the first term.
The Saints had their strongest stretch in the second quarter, outscoring Echuca three goals to one.
Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends for the Saints.
The Murray Bombers came out with a flurry of goals in the third term, piling on 46 points to take the game away from Benalla.
The Saints could only manage a sole behind in the third before kicking another goal and behind in the fourth, running out of steam at the back end of the contest.
Echuca didn’t stop there, adding a further seven goals and five behinds in the fourth to bury a Benalla team who couldn’t stay with the premiers for a full four quarters of football.
Benalla’s Wade King kicked two goals, with Nicholas Brazil, Tyler McGregor and Nick Mellington all bagging one each for the Saints.
Playing coach Jarrad Waite also starred throughout the contest in the middle with 38 disposals, 12 marks and 16 rebound-50s, gaining a whopping 160 ranking points for his efforts, second only to Jack McHale (177).
King, Waite, Jordan Wolff, Mellington and James Martiniello were named amongst Benalla’s best players for the match for their contributions in the middle and up-front.
Benalla will face eighth-placed Shepparton Swans at home in round nine.
Will the Saints march in with their first victory of 2024?
The Game
Scores
Benalla: 1.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.5 (35)
Echuca: 4.9, 5.13, 12.17, 19.22 (136)
Goals
Benalla: Wade King 2, Nicholas Brazil, Tyler McGregor, Nick Mellington
Echuca: Hugh Byrne 3, Callum Parsons 3, Liam Tenace 3, Jack Evans 2, Will Monahan 2, Samuel Reid 2, Corbin Anderson, Noah Langborne, Jack McHale, Riley Smith
Best
Benalla: Wade King, Jarrad Waite, Jordan Wolff, Nick Mellington, James Martiniello
Echuca: Kane Morris, Jack McHale, Samuel Reid, Jack Evans, Callum Parsons