There was plenty of excitement at AJ Freeman Reserve in Paynesville last Saturday for the Lakes Entrance Seagulls as they broke through for their first win of the 2025 East Gippsland Football Netball campaign.
It’s was also the club’s first victory under new coach Darren Martin, easily accounting for the Gulls, who Martin coached to a premiership, by 106 points.
The Seagulls made the trip to Paynesville confident of victory, both sides keen to get a win on the board, taking the field with their best line ups thus far.
The first quarter was a torrid affair with both sides putting their bodies on the line in a battle of the defences, each kicking just the one major as Lakes went to the first break three point leaders.
Martin asked his troops for more at the first break, wanting them to lower their eyes when they went forward and hit up someone in a better position, while opposition coach Dave Westland was pleased with his side’s initial effort to bounce back from three drubbings, hopeful they could maintain the pressure for three more quarters.
But it wasn’t to be, the Seagulls finding their mojo and kicking six unanswered second quarter goals, wasted opportunities keeping the Gulls within 42 points at the long break.
Lakes Entrance was in front for the first time all season and they were liking it, controlling the match and its tempo, keeping Paynesville scoreless again in the third term, while goals continued to flow for the Seagulls who were playing with plenty of confidence.
Avenues to goal were plentiful, led by assistant coach Ben Rotheram, who not for the first time in his career was unstoppable in the forward 50, kicking seven goals in outstanding performance.
New addition to the club in 2025, Sam Brown kicked five goals, looking comfortable close to goal, while giant ruckman Sam Nickless was back close to his best, finishing with three goals, just too tall for his opponents on numerous times throughout the afternoon.
To their credit the Gulls played their best football in the final term as the Seagulls took the foot of the gas, though they still outscored their struggling opponent by five goals to two, as the lead finally went over 100 points.
Brown was best afield for the Seagulls, getting great support from skipper Angus McKenzie, the smooth moving Liam Carroll, George Ioakim, Rotheram and Jordan Cullen who never shirked an issue.
For the Gulls Ben McKinnon, Jordan Farquhar, skipper Harry Gibbs, Luke Smith, Troy Brown and Tobias Hall all tried hard, but with four defeats over 100 points in as many rounds, it looks like being a very long season.
To compound things, key defender Brayden Radford appears to have suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury, which will make them even more vulnerable in the back six.
Lakes Entrance will host Stratford at the Lakeside Oval this week in a much tougher assignment.
The Swans are the surprise packet of the competition thus far, accounting for premiership favourite Boisdale Briagolong in round one, before impressing with victories over Lindenow and Orbost Snowy Rovers, who were both tipped to be big improvers in 2025.
The Seagulls will go in with new found confidence and belief, which is hopes will carry it along way towards victory.
