Yarrawonga 5.3, 8.3, 8.5, 14.7.91.
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Wangaratta Rovers 0.3, 3.9, 6.11, 8.12.60.
Goals: Yarrawonga: Nick Fothergill 3, Tim Lawrence 3, Jess Koopman 2, Leigh Williams 2, Ryan Bruce 1, Bailey Fraunfelder 1, Jack Forge 1, Willie Wheeler 1.
Wangaratta Rovers: Ryan Stone 2, Alex McCarthy 2, Tom Boyd 1, Toby Murray 1, Jack Gerrish 1, Sam Murray 1.
Best: Yarrawonga: Will Sexton, Nicholas Fothergill, Jack Forge, Mark Whiley, Leigh Masters, Lach Howe.
Wangaratta Rovers: Toby Bryant, Jace McQuade, Jack Gerrish, Jake McQueen, Alex McCarthy, Michael Clark.
The Yarrawonga Pigeons have won their way through to the 2022 Ovens and Murray Grand Final after defeating the Wangaratta Rovers by 31 points in the Preliminary Final at Bunton Park on Sunday.
Two forced changes to the Pigeons line up were made during the week, with Caleb Mitchell and Connor Griffiths going out of the side, making way for Jordan Urquhart and Jack Forge.
Eyebrows were raised early as at the very first centre bounce of the game, the Rovers had opted to go with mid-sized Raven Joliffe in the ruck up against an in-form Lach Howe.
After losing the toss and being forced to kick into the teeth of the breeze in the first quarter, the Pigeons were relentless in their attack of the footy as they completely dominated the Rovers in all facets of the game.
Remarkably, kicking into the wind, the Pigeons piled on 5 unanswered goals through Fothergill, Lawrence, Koopman and Bruce as all the big guns for Yarrawonga came out all guns blazing. Lach Howe was clearly winning the ruck battle whilst Nick Fothergill could not have started the game any better.
Fothergill was instrumental in setting up the big lead early for Yarrawonga after having 8 disposals and kicking the Pigeons first two goals of the game in the first quarter.
In all one-way traffic for the Pigeons, they picked up where they left off at the beginning of the second quarter.
An immediate inside fifty found Leigh Williams on the lead who went back and converted truly to give the Pigeons a 6-goal break on the Rovers, who were still yet to register a major.
It took until the 6th minute of the second quarter for the Rovers to get a good look on goal.
A fortunate soccer off the ground that landed in McCarthy of the Rovers arms enabled them to kick their first.
However, it was the Pigeons with the instant reply, a pack crashed by Williams left Frauenfelder front and centre to weave through and nail another goal to stretch the margin back out to 35-points midway through the second.
The Wang Rovers were able to gather themselves and begin to get their hands on the footy after the Frauenfelder goal. Goals to Gerrish and Boyd trimmed the margin slightly however a bone crunching tackle laid inside fifty by Fothergill was correctly awarded as the star midfielder went back to put through an important goal and his third of the afternoon just before halftime.
A man playing a brilliant selfless role on the dangerous Brodie Filo was Jack Forge. Brought into the side for that exact reason, Forge held Filo stat less in the second quarter which did not go unrecognised amongst the Pigeons faithful.
Nick Fothergill was best on ground at halftime with 14 disposals and 3 goals whilst Captain Leigh Masters, Coach Mark Whiley, Will Sexton and Lach Howe were all having an influential impact on the game.
The Pigeons knew the Rovers would come hard, and that they did. The slick outfit, kicking with the breeze, were able to get their game up and running in the third quarter in a complete shift of momentum.
Goals from the set shot to McCarthy, Murray and Stone reduced the margin back to just 6 points late in the third quarter.
Yarrawonga’s defence were forced to fight tooth and nail to not allow any further scores from the Rovers and as the siren sounded at Bunton Park, it was the Pigeons holding a narrow 6-point lead.
With it all to play for, the sun finally broke through the clouds in what was set to be an epic final quarter, with the winner to progress through to play the Wangaratta Magpies on the last Sunday in September.
In what seemed like a huge moment in the game, Will Sexton set the tone for Yarrawonga, winning an important one on one victory against Filo in the air.
From the Sexton mark, the Pigeons were able to surge the ball forward and it was Tim Lawrence who was the one to capitalise. Lawrence sharked a ball that was volleyball spiked by Williams to kick through the all important first goal of the quarter.
The Rovers hit back fast through Ryan Stone to bring it back to a one goal game. As the Rovers began to surge forward again, it took some brilliant individual efforts from defenders Jye Cross and Beau Seymour to put a stop to the attack.
Seymour’s towering intercept mark deep in defence initiated a Pigeon slingshot on the outer side of the ground.
The rebounding play involved left footers Bailey Frauenfelder and Logan Morey and ended up with Jack Forge, who continued to stride into the open goal face and kick a hugely important goal in the context of the game.
With 17 minutes gone in the final quarter, Leigh Williams stood tall as opposition players collapsed around him to take a strong mark inside fifty.
Williams with ultimate class and poise nailed the set shot as the Pigeons players and supporters could almost sniff a Grand Final berth with the lead now out to 20-points.
A Toby Murray goal of the Rovers cut back the margin to give the Rovers a glimmer of hope however Willie Wheeler quickly put an end to that.
Wheeler was tackled high inside fifty, giving him an opportunity to sink the Rovers and put his team into a Grand Final.
22 minutes gone, Wheeler set sail from 45-metres out with a high ball that swung back beautifully with the wind as the Pigeons supporters erupted, confident that their team was home and hosed.
The cherry on the cake came from a similar passage of play to the Forge goal. Seymour found Morey who found Jack Sexton.
On the overlap on the outer side, Sexton shovelled a handpass to Bailey Frauenfelder. Frauenfelder chipped a ball to Jess Koopman who had a paddock a space.
With caution, Koopman took two bounces, ran inside fifty, improved the angle and snapped a ball that sailed high and long but through the big sticks.
The final goal of the game came through relentless forward pressure from the Pigeons. Brayden Coburn squared up a ball with poise inside fifty to find Tim Lawrence who was unmarked. Lawrence with great accuracy, guided it through for his third of the day as the Pigeons skipped away with a 31-point Preliminary Final victory.
The Yarrawonga Pigeons will be looking to cap off a remarkable season on Sunday at the Lavington Sportsground as they enter their first Grand Final since 2014.
Yarrawonga Chronicle