MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 5 Review

Round Five of the MGFNL saw the leagues two winless teams chalk up their first wins for the season with one of them, Stony Creek, causing what may well remain the upset of the year in their local derby (read grudge match) with MDU. And Boolarra too was finally able to sign their song after, for the first time this year, capitalising on their front half entries to kick a winning score over Morwell East.

At the other end of the table the status quo remained with Fish Creek, Yinnar and Foster all cracking the ton and running out big winners over Newborough, Toora and Mirboo North respectively.

Mirboo North v Foster

After an arm wrestle in the first quarter that saw Foster held to a single major and Mirboo North not trouble the scorers Foster turned it on in the second term to set up their 107-point win. They slammed on 8-4-52 to Mirboo Norths 1-1-7 and the tone for the rest of the day was set with Foster eventually running out winners 19-12-126 to Mirboo Norths 3-1-19.

Mirboo North coach Damian Turner sent youngster Ollie Mahoney to Angus Norton in a tagging role in the middle and placed his faith in Beau Peters and Joe Brooks to get the job done on Brett Eddy and Jake Best in the Foster front half. Both Peters and Brooks toiled manfully all day but with the supply coming in eventually Eddy and Best took control of their match ups and finished with six and seven each.

After the second quarter onslaught Turner and his hometown Tigers, resplendent in their pink socks supporting breast cancer research, went to a slow mode style of game. They chipped the ball around wherever possible and maintained possession across half back to start the third term. This kept the ball out of Foster’s hands and led to the home teams second goal of the game when Archie Woodall marked and kicked truly.

As if taking personal offence to the goal or perhaps style of play Jack Weston went on a tear for Foster. The next few minutes of game time saw him intercept mark, run and carry the ball and set up multiple forward fifty entries’ resulting in goals. First his long bomb was sharked at ground level by Norton who snaped truly. Norton then turned provider setting up Eddy who marked and goaled before Rathjen, relieving Allott in the ruck, found Weston with some class tap work and Jack lasered a pass to the leading Best who marked and goaled. In the blink of an eye the score had blown out and Foster were cruising.

Mirboo North however cracked in and finished the quarter how they started, with a goal. This time it was Kerr, who was outstanding early, who snapped truly, on his non favoured right foot to raise the umpires’ flags. Try as Kerr might however this game had been long gone as the sides trotted into their huddles at the last break.

The last term saw Rawlings, of Mirboo North, and Rathjen do the majority of the ruck work. Sam Crane, Gippsland FMs stat man credited the home side with their highest number of forward fifty entries for the game but it was still Foster hitting the scoreboard.

Best and Eddy went bang bang before a rushed behind saw Peters kick in for Mirboo North. As if to typify his day he played on, was called for running too far and the resultant free kick saw Norton lob the ball to Peters direct opponent Eddy 15 meters from goal surrounded by nothing other than green grass and fresh air.  

Damian Turner, who appeared to be playing injured, said after the game “we came up against a very strong outfit in foster. As always, when these sides get uncontested ball they really make you hurt, and that was the story this week” He continued that “Best and Eddy a tough duo to hold off for four quarters.’

Turner also suggest that the scoreboard didn’t necessarily reflect his sides “start and pressure” but conceded “Foster are going to be tough to beat” and I don’t think he was just talking about during the home and away series.

Mirboo North named Nathan Skewes, who laid some big tackles, Archie Woodall and Hudson Kerr as their best. For what It is worth I felt the games of Peters and Brooks were a pass mark even with the goals they had kicked on them and the work of Rawlings in the ruck worth a mention.

Winning coach Jake Best acknowledged the tight start to the game noting “it was a great contest in the first quarter” adding that Mirboo North “really took it up to us”. He continued however that “as the game opened up we got it on our terms” and as the scoreboard showed this is a dangerous place for any opposition to find themselves in.

In terms of better players for Foster they selected the Rathjen brothers and Jack Weston which is hard to argue with but I thought the work of Rhodes down back in the key post was good as was the work of Cooke at the other end, where he played the role of provider more so than gaol kicker was excellent.

Stony Creek v MDU

The league finally got the upset result it was looking for when the previously winless Stony Creek held on for a one-point win over their nearest and dearest rivals MDU 11-7-73 to 11-6-72.

When sides with history like these two take to the park you can generally throw the form guide and ladder out the window and so it proved Saturday just gone in a result that will have near on everyone in the league cheering for the underdog. (No disrespect to MDU of course but who doesn’t love an underdog!)

The Stony Creek boys jumped the Demons and slotted five of the finest in the first term to let the visitors know they were in for a contest. When Stony Creek slotted the first of the second term inside a minute the upset was not only on the cards but in full swing.

As if roused by the challenge the though MDU responded with five of their own while keeping the home side off the scoreboard and tuned a fifteen-point quarter time deficit into a nine-point lead. Normal services had resumed and the underdog had thrown their best punches and the side much higher on the ladder was going to get the result, right? Wrong!

The home side rallied in the third term and with Tully Bernado and Cameron Stone in everything the opportunities continued to present for Luke Firth who slotted five for the day. Bernando managed two majors to add to his best on ground performance along with Colby Michael who also booted two.

With the home side leading by nine points at the final break, and MDU coming home to the scoring end the scene was perfectly set for a dramatic last stanza.  

And no one was let down in terms of drama- Stony Creek kicked two of the first three goals of the term and with fifteen minutes gone looked almost safe with a fifteen-point lead.

But with Jamie Youle heading the charge MDU kept coming and coming and had the last four scoring shots of the contest. McRae kicked his fifth and it was back under two kicks, but when the siren sounded ever so shortly after the MDU got back within a point at the twenty-six and a half minute mark of an enthralling last quarter the home side had hung on for one of the best wins in recent seasons.

An enthusiastic Stony Creek coach Troy Shepherdson said post-game “in a tight contested game we were able to pull off a great win”. “The boys have dug in hard and deserve the win” he continued before returning to the celebrations.

Rhett Kelly, the MDU coach, said “Full credit to Stony who played like they had nothing to lose”. In particular he praised his opponent’s midfield who he said, “were on top all day” noting of his own side “didn't defend hard enough to stop their spread from stoppage.”

In summary Kelly reflected on a “very disappointing effort from us today. Effort is a huge part of football and if there is no effort to defend it doesn't matter who you are playing you will not win.”  

Yinnar v Toora

Yinnar coach Sam McCulloch said he was “pleased to come away with a strong win” after his side routed Toora 29-13-187 to 4-2-26. Kane Grinstead-Jones filled his boots with a bag of seven with the ever-green Mick Geary slotting six. Nixon Hall kicked three in a best on ground performance as did Blake Van Der Meer who seemingly enjoyed a stint away from the defensive area. 

Whilst undoubtedly happy with the margin and subsequent percentage McCulloch was content his side was “able to put together a consistent four-quarter performance, with contributions right across the team”. In what might sound as a waring bell to opponents across the league he continued with “after an interrupted start to the season, we’re beginning to build some real momentum in our football.”

Toora were again best served by Lachi Smart and Mick Bezzene with their goal kickers all singles in Jared Bent, Bezzene, Sam Bright and Tex Dyson.

Hill End v Thorpdale

Thorpdale continued to go about their business with a strong win over the improving Hill End. The ‘Dales, who find themselves in fourth spot with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Foster, had this  clash with Hill End put to bed at half time when they led by a whopping eleven goals.

A second half come-back by the Rovers saw the finals scores much closer but still handed a comfortable win to the visitors 16-18-114 to 12-10-82.

For Thorpdale recruits Jesse Patullo and Ayden Ramm were joined by stalwarts Shannon Pickering and Gavan Low as their best four. Patullo also headed the goal kickers list with half a dozen. Jerimiah Jones was the only other multiple goal kicker with two while eight other players found their name on the scoresheet.

Thorpdale coach Daniel Taylor praised his side suggesting he felt this was “the best we’ve moved the ball since my time at the club”. He was especially pleased with “the dominant second term which set up the win” and also acknowledged his sides efforts to kick the first two goals of the last term after Hill End loomed as a threat after a strong third term.

For Hill End it was Luke Summergill with five and Liam Cumiskey two that led the way in terms of goal kicking. Bayley Paul, Seth Calway and Tom Johstone were listed as their best three.

Post game Hill End coach Tom Hallinan felt “dropped marks in our forward half hurt us in the first quarter where Thorpy capitalised on the rebound.” As reflect on the scoreboard which shows a nine goal to zero term Hallinan said of the second quarter, “It was all Thorpy” adding they “were slick and really put the foot down” and capitalised on his own side’s inability “to initiate first hands on ball”.

At half time Hallinan resisted the urge to blow up and said the “boys responded with a six goals to one quarter” to a “measured address which included several positional changes”. These changes Hallinan said meant “the midfield were getting first use and we were changing lanes which forced movement and created one on one isolations” that in turn led to an increase in scoring.

On wining the second half Hallinan noted “finishing as we did shows that we are trending in the right direction” and that they most certainly appear to be doing.

Morwell East v Boolarra

Boolarra tasted success for the first time in season 2026 with a comfortable eight goal win over Morwell East, 15-7-97 to 7-7-49. The visitors jumped the Hawks and led at the first change by twenty points. The coach and the captain, Brendan and Joel Mason had plenty of it for the Demons and set up several scoring opportunities with the coach also kicking five of his own. Matt Devon, recruited from Trafalgar in the off season continued his recent good form by also slotting five. Rounding out the goal kickers was Ethan Smith with three and Tarmah Little and Nick Miller with one each.

An injury hit East battled out the game manfully but were unable to bridge the gap on the scoreboard. Brandon Francis led the goal kickers for East with three. The remainder were all singles to Clymo, Jay Francis, Iorangi and Mangion. Iorangi, up against his old coach from his junior days was named in the East’s best three along with Bailey Galante and Eric Semmler.  

Boolarra coach Brendan Mason concurred with Easts assessment of their best saying post -game “Iorangi was moving well and was easily in East’s best with Galante.” On his own side Mason said, “it is good to be back on the winners list with a complete four quarter performance” He praised the game of Devon whom he labelled “lively up front” before adding it was “good having a couple of the Darwin boys down who both contributed well”.

Fish Creek v Newborough

Fish Creek kept on doing what Fish Creek have been doing since Round Two, kicking scores of in excess of one hundred and restricting their opponents to around that. This time it was Newborough who saw how efficient they are as Fish Creek ran out winners 21-10-136 to 8-5-53.

Across the four quarters an eerily consistent Fish Creek kicked five, five, four and four goals. They had five multiple goal scorers and winners all over the park. Blaine Coates, who has an amazing record of three Fish Creek Premierships from only thirty-eight games, was named best on ground along with Mitch Hicks and Harrison Smith.     

For Newborough the Nathans, Curtis and Whieldon, managed two goals each. Macally Brosnan was named best on ground along with Kyle Jennings and Liam Cordner.

Tarwin had the bye.