MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 11 Review

They say a week is a long time in footy and if you’d have said a week ago, as games were being played in torrential rain and howling winds, that this week would see fine conditions and a return to some big scores you’d have been laughed at. But here we are, another round of MGFNL footy played in near perfect conditions across the region.

And whilst not perfect the match played between teams eleventh and twelfth on the ladder, namely Boolarra and Toora, was an absolute ripper. In fact, if no one had told you the two teams were in the bottom few spots on the ladder the game would easily have passed as one between two sides in finals contention when the sides went head to head as Boolarra hosted their annual Indigenous round match.

Boolarra v Toora

After forming a guard of honour for Reserves stalwart Glenn Smith to mark his record breaking 454th game Boolarra hit the ground running to set up their 12-14-86 to 9-10-64 win over Toora.

The home side led by Matt Dyer and Brendan Mason early helped themselves to nine first term scoring shots while keeping Toora goalless. It was the coach, Brendan Mason, himself who opened proceedings capitalising on the good work of Hayden Schugmann before skipper Mason Porykali took the first of his dozen plus marks for the game and kicked truly.

Mason was then set up by his brother Joel who received from Dyer to slot his second before he kicked the goal of the day from hard up on the boundary. He received the ball, again from his brother, and ran toward the boundary before booting a dop punt across his body from forty-five to raise the dual calicos for the third time for himself and the fourth time for his team.

Ruckman Tim Dowe was excellent for the home side in the first term joining the two Mason brothers and Matt Dyer as the standouts early.

For Toora it was new recruit Chris Baker who was in everything early doors. He was supported by Jared Bent and Laci Smart but it was too little from too many at the end of the first term for the visitors.

More Boolarra dominance looked likely with Matt Devon snapping cleverly early in the second term to extend the home sides lead with Toora still goalless.

But a lift in the middle by ruckman Karl Grift saw Toora winning more midfield ball, mainly via Halsall and Baker, and providing their forwards with some quality delivery. Tex Dyson took two cracking marks on the lead but failed to capitalise before Sam Bright stepped up and finally ended the drought for the home side. When he gaoled again late in the quarter Toora had split the quarter and the game was back on an even keel.

Jon Pintus provided a great target for Toora at half forward and even further up the ground as required with Halsall and Baker again getting plenty of it. Joseph Platt and Ben East too had come into the game for the visitors and hopes were high for a big second half as Boolarra took a four goal lead to the main break.

The third quarter started much like the first two with Boolarra getting things underway. This time it was Schugmann, who kicked his second, getting the scoreboard ticking over.

Just as the blow out looked on Bright again stepped up and kicked back to back majors for Toora to get the margin under four straight kicks. His first came from a strong mark and second from high contact but both were deserved by the big man and needed by his team.

As if recognising the danger Porykali swung into action for the home side, wining a crucial stoppage and kicking the ball in to the front fifty where it was sharked by Devon who kicked a ripper. This was quickly countered by Toora’s Halsall and the contest was still on.

Fast forward five minutes however and goals to Schugmann and Porykali pretty much put the game to rest. The Porykali goal was a set shot from forty five which would ordinarily be a pretty ho-hum sort of outcome however the fact it came after a right foot pass from Joel Mason could be enough to enter it into folklore.

With the three quarter time break over there was a general feeling among those in attendance that the sooner we got the last quarter over and done with the sooner we could all be on our way.

But after being slow out of the blocks for the first three terms it was Toora’s turn to come out firing. Dyson, who is surely on the cusp of having a breakout game, kicked the first. It was a left foot snap from thirty. He was under pressure and Boolarra defender Tristian Salerno looked for all money to have it covered. Salerno and grass were the only things between the left boot of Dyson and the goal but the Sherrin had other ideas. It bounced directly over Salerno’s head and continued on course to the goals and it was the Pies first on the board.

As if inspired by his lucky break Dyson went back to back after clunking another terrific grab with his set shot this time never looking like missing. As the youngster broke out the double python celebration the sniff of a barnstorming, come from behind, win was in the air.

With Toora skipper East keeping Brendan Mason temporarily quite the visitors felt they were a real hope.

Enter the Boolarra captains. Joel Mason, who got the ball from a lovely pass off Twomey found Porykali who goaled and then B Mason slipped the net to find Schugmann who also kicked truly and the home side were safe.

Pintus and Bright goaled late for Toora to keep the margin respectable but the damage was done and Boolarra got their third win of the year.

Baker, Halsall and Bent were three of the better players for Toora around the ground while Bright was awesome in front of goal. Dyson will kick a bag of five before the season ends but sadly today was not his day.

For Boolarra it was Dyer, B Mason, J Mason and Porykali who were at it all day. Potter and Dowe were good and Schugmann offered the x-factor so often lacking in the Demon’s front half.

And if that was eleventh versus twelfth I cannot wait for first versus second!

Foster v Tarwin

Even without the league’s leading goal kicker Foster managed to rack up a huge score overpowering Tarwin 20-11-131 to 5-4-34. Whilst the goal kickers were headed up by Jake Best, who slotted seven for his side, Foster shared the load with four others, Cooke, Flavelle, Rathjen and Weston, kicking two each with another five helping themselves to singles.

Leading by twenty-three points at the main change Foster increased that lead to forty-five at the final change but it was the last term where the damage was really done. The home side unloaded ten of the best while keeping the Sharks to a single goal to extend the margin to near on 100 points and, crucially, battering Tarwin’s percentage which could prove incredibly costly in the run to the finals.

Jack Weston was named best afield followed by the two Rathjens. And with the Foster keeping Tarwin to just five goals it was fitting defenders Liam Bentley and James Morris too made the call for the better players for the winners.

For Tarwin it was Troy Harley with three and Toby Mahoney with two in terms of goal kickers with midfielder Kyle Yann, ruckman Harrison Cumming and the ever reliable Fergus Warren named their best.

Winning coach Jake Best acknowledged the first half efforts of Tarwin saying they “really took it up to us” before adding that he was “happy with how we ended the game” in reference to the last quarter blow out. Best continued that it has “been a solid three games in a row so it was great to get the win”.

Lachie Jones, Tarwin’s coach, spoke post-game of his “mixed feelings.” On the one hand he noted “our plans for Foster were for the most part executed up until three quarter time” before adding “but then the last quarter was just really poor”.

Jones felt his side “showed glimpses and implemented some things against a very skilled and experienced outfit” but ultimately they didn’t get the job done and worse still his team’s “percentage has taken a big clip”.

On individual efforts Jones said “Kyle Yann in the midfield tried hard all day for us and has had a great season to date” adding that “Fergus Warren and Louis Armstrong were also solid in our backline”.

MDU v Mirboo North

After an even opening quarter that saw the teams exchange goals MDU put their foot down to account for a spirited Mirboo North 12-10-82 to 7-6-48. Nick Nagel and Zak Carroll did most of the damage for the winners booting four and three goals respectively.

Jacob Whiteside, Jason Kennedy and Sam Wilson were pivotal in the win with all three getting plenty of the ball.

Crucially MDU were also able to run the game out better than their opponents too wining the second half with thirteen scoring shots to only seven.

For Mirboo North Darby Kratzat was the only multiple goal scorer with two. Their better players included Beau Peters, Pat Lewis and Kratzat.

With MDU coach Rhett Kelly putting plenty of work into the opposition he found the right match up for Hudson Kerr with the star mid managing only a single goal and with his influence negated Mirboo North were always going to be up against it.

In the after match Kelly was upbeat noting it was “great conditions for football today” before adding that his “back seven defence was really well led by Jacob Whiteside and Tom Niven”. He continued that the club as a collective “have also been super impressed by our young lads and their efforts, stepping up and playing their roles” adding that they “still have plenty to work on and get better at, which makes it exciting”.

On his opposition Kelly said “Mirboo North came out firing” and that he felt their “energy and effort well above ours”.

Kelly added that his side “were able to wrestle some momentum back in the second quarter” but still “went into the main break with some areas we needed to adjust”.

On the second half Kelly said “to the boys' credit, we cleaned those areas up and played some good footy through the third and fourth quarters”.

Defeated coach Damien Turner was able to see some positives in his side’s efforts. After the match he said the game was “a step down the right path” ad that it was “pleasing to see the boys respond to some things we have addressed”.

When asked for any specifics he had to share Turner expanded saying “I was really pleased with our pressure defensively and the confidence they played with”.

In terms of the game Turner said, “credit to MDU, they created a buffer in the middle part of the game, and we couldn’t peg it back”.

He then went on to add it is “great to see our young brigade step up week to week” before praising one of his veterans adding that “the ruckwork of Pat Lewis was fantastic this week against a quality opponent!”

Newborough v Morwell East

Newborough had their game against Morwell east locked away when they led by near on five goals at the main break. They virtually doubled this over the second half of the game and recorded a comfortable win 11-17-83 to 4-4-28.

The margin arguably should have been greater with the Dogs booting only two goals from nine last quarter scoring shots.

Kyle Jennings was named best afield for the winners. He was joined by Josh Pearce who was in everything for the Dogs and also helped himself to a pair of goals along the way. These two were joined by the Liams, Charles and Cordner among the better for the winners in a win that sees the Dogs leap frog Hill End and take sixth spot on the ladder.

For East it was Brandon Francis and Frank Marks who hit the scoreboard with the duo each registering a pair of majors for the day. Bailey Galante, Joanthon Conquest and James Quinn joined Marks as the best four on the park for East.

With Boolarra beating Toora and having the four points for a bye to come East now find themselves in a tooth and nail battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

Post game winning coach Pat Frendo said of an even first term that “we knew they (Morwell East) would come out hot after having a week off and give us a red hot crack”.

Frendo continued that “in the second quarter we ramped up our front half pressure and got on top in the middle.” Frendo said this not only gave the Dogs some scoreboard breathing space but was the platform they “built on all afternoon”.

Frendo summarised that the win was “a solid team performance but full credit to our back six who only allowed one goal per quarter” a notable effort in what Frendo said were “perfect footy conditions”.

Thorpdale v Stony Creek

Thorpdale did exactly what was required of them in accounting for Stony Creek 20-11-131 to 8-10-58. The four points keeps them level with MDU but the percentage gap has now dropped to just eight and with what looms as a really tight ladder come the seasons end it is a result like these that might make all the difference.

It may have taken Thorpy ten or so minutes to kick their first goal but once they did they didn’t mess around and slammed on four more to lead by twenty-four points at the first break.

They increased this margin over the course of the second term and were on good terms with themselves heading into the main break leading by the best part of six goals.

Any thought of a second half comeback were put to bed quickly. Thorpy booted eight of the best in the premiership quarter and took a commanding lead into the last change. Matt “Moose” Powell grabbed half a dozen, Hayden Britten and Anthony Rosato three and Kieran Albanese two.

Travis Pattern who kicked one was best on ground followed by Powell and “the hyphen”, James Holland-Burch.

For Stony Creek best on ground Cam Stone slotted three from mainly midfield minutes while Troy Sinclair booted two. Tyler Neal joined Strickland and Stone as the best three for the Creek.

Yinnar v Hill End

A fast starting Yinnar had five majors on the board before Hill End were able to manage their first. Will Robertson in particular was quick out of the gates slotting the first two of the game before McKay, Pratt and Notman joined him on the goal kickers list.

As he has done several times this year Hill End coach Tom Hallinan managed to move some magnets mid game and get his side back into the contest on the fly. It is a credit to the developing list that they can adapt so readily and by half time Hill End looked to have steadied the ship with a two goal each of two second term limiting any further damage on the scoreboard.

Sadly though that is where the good news ended for the Hillmen with Yinnar kicking six goals to three after the long break to run out winners 13-12-90 to 6-5-41.

Robertson doubled his early tally of two goals to finish with four while Ben Skinner managed a pair mixing his time in the front half and the middle. Seven other Pies managed singles.

For his efforts Robertson was named best on ground with Harry McColl, Lachlan Pratt and ruckman Jesse Bowe joining him among the leading quartet for the winners.

For Hill End skipper Seth Calway was the only multiple goal scorer with two. Livewire small forward come midfielder Ashton Hermanus was best on for Hill End along with Darcy Paul and ruckman Tom Johnstone.

Sam McCulloch, Yinnar’s coach, spoke after the game of “a hard-fought win” where he was “pleased with the way we responded when challenged in the game”. He acknowledged though that “there were periods where our ball use let us down” which he felt allowed his opponents to “gain the momentum and create scoring opportunities”

McCulloch finished up by recognising “the maturity the group showed in the final quarter, standing up under pressure and finishing the game strongly”.

Whilst McCulloch spoke of his sides last quarter efforts it was the Pies first quarter Hill End coach Tom Hallinan referenced first up post-game. “It was game on, Yinnar shot out of the blocks” he said before adding he was happy his side “were able to peg back two late goals” which kept them in the contest.

When asked about the shift in momentum through the middle of the game Hallinan said, “we really found our groove in the second and third quarters” noting that his side “locked down on a couple of Yinnar playmakers courtesy of Ashton Hermanus and Andy Daly”. He also said his side “were getting great intercepts from our defenders particularly Brendan Clarke and Dustin Blackshaw” during this period.

Hallinan continued that his side was “composed, measured and able to get into good forward entry spots” while being able to keep the “pressure on Yinnar was up through their preferred lane way- the corridor”.

Hallinan lamented that he had “four forced changes” to his side which “really tested our list depth” before adding the Hillmen were “down to zero men on the bench in the last quarter” while Yinnar were able to “freshen up in the midfield and gain serious meters with their midfield dominance”

Hallinan finished up “credit to Yinnar, we will be much better for the run against them” before adding, almost excitedly, that “we play them again in six weeks”.

You have to love a coach that likes to take on a challenge and Hill End most certainly have one of them!

Fish Creek had the bye.