Barooga overpowers Jerilderie

Barooga came out firing from the opening bounce, putting Jerilderie immediately on the back foot.

The home side slammed on the first four goals of the game, showcasing sharp ball movement and forward pressure that left the Demons scrambling to respond.

Jerilderie managed to steady and settle the storm as the game went on. From that point, it was a tight and hard-fought contest, with both sides trading blows through the middle stages.

Momentum swung back and forth, and neither team was able to fully break clear heading into the final quarter.

Jerilderie had some strong performances on the day, with Will Bull impactful around goal, finishing with two majors and providing a reliable target up forward.

Down the back, Max Bruton and Dan Eldridge worked tirelessly under pressure, their defensive efforts helping keep the Demons within striking distance for much of the match.

However, the final quarter belonged entirely to Barooga. With their fitness and ability to run, they blew the game wide open, piling on 10 goals to one in a dominant last term to run out comfortable winners.

Final score: Barooga 21.5 (131) def Jerilderie 7.8 (50).

Best: B Aylett, M Bruton, D Eldridge, T Sleigh, G Flannagan, W Bull.

Reserves

Jerilderie came up against a well manned and fit Barooga side, who were fast to hit the scoreboard.

Jerilderie were a bit light on numbers and missing some key players, and as such struggled to get a hold of the Hawks.

While being able to get enough of the ball, unfortunately the Demons weren’t able to capitalise.

Despite this, there were some positives to take out of the game, and it’s onto the next.

Final score: Barooga 16.14 (110) def Jerilderie 0.0 (0).

Thirds

It was a tight and contested start to the match, with Jerilderie coming out strong and setting the early tone.

The Demons struck first, kicking the opening two goals and putting immediate pressure on Barooga, who were forced to settle into the contest.

Despite the early scoreboard lead, Barooga began to find their rhythm as the game went on.

By the second half, Barooga’s fitness and work rate became evident. They controlled possession and used their running to break the game open.

Jerilderie struggled to keep up with the Hawks, who were capitalising on turnovers and converting their opportunities in front of goal to run out of victors.

Final score: Barooga 27.12 (174) def Jerilderie 4.1 (25).

Best: Z Rorato, E Lawton, J Winn, L Eldridge, B Davidson.

Fourths

The effort of the fourths against a much taller and stronger Barooga side could not be faulted, as the young Demons competed all day and played with 100 per cent heart.

It was always going to be a challenge to match Barooga in the air, and the Hawks were able to get plenty of forward entries, which meant the backline was under constant pressure.

To their credit, the Demons never dropped their heads, they kept working, applying pressure and doing everything they could to slow the game down.

While it wasn’t the result the side was after, the attitude and effort were precisely what coaches want to see.

Final score: Barooga 22.25 (157) def Jerilderie 0.0 (0).

Best: T Guciullo, W McGuinness, H Rorato, D Gurciullo, C Haas-Laing, F Bryce.