Lakes Entrance will head into the East Gippsland Junior Football Association (EGJFA) finals full of confidence after beating this week’s opponent in both the under 13 and 15s, Wy Yung, during the final round at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve.
In the under 13 competition the Seagulls finished the season on the top of the ladder after only suffering one loss for the season against Lindenow in round 11, the Cats causing an upset that day but unable to make it into the top four at the conclusion of the home and away season.
Wy Yung worked hard with the breeze in the opening term keeping the Seagulls scoreless as it opened up a 14-point quarter time advantage, but after some good advice from the coaching staff, Lakes Entrance found its mojo in the second term kicking four unanswered goals.
The third term was a battle with the Seagulls playing good football but struggling with the tricky breeze, kicking the only two scores of the third quarter, both behinds, increasing the lead to 13 points at the final break.
With the wind at their back Lakes Entrance coasted home with the spinnaker up, kicking three goals to one in the final term to run out relatively easy 25-point winners over the side predicted to be their greatest challenger in the race for premiership glory.
Makayla and John Sowden were both lively in the forward 50 for the Seagulls kicking two goals each, named in the best players with Jack Hayllar, Patrick McGinty, Ollie Anderson and Keanu Brown.
It was the second time the Seagulls have claimed the scalp of the Tigers this season, which is great for the team’s confidence heading into finals action.
In the under 15s Lakes finished the season in second place on the ladder suffering only one defeat for the season, against Wy Yung in round seven, a victory that was erased from the memory on Sunday.
Both sides struggled to convert their opportunities in the tricky winds with behinds accumulating. Four goals from Tayte Gibbs was a significant factor in the hard-fought seven-point victory by the Seagulls.
Having only kicked three goals in the first three quarters, Lakes Entrance played its best football of the match in the final term kicking three unanswered majors to turn a nine-point three quarter time deficit into a massive win in the scheme of the season.
Among the best for the Seagulls were Isaac Zagami, Ayden Martin, Jeremy Rotheram, Gibbs, Lochie Yates and Mitch Ware.
The EGJFA finals start this Sunday at Bairnsdale City Oval with the Lakes Entrance under 13s drawn to play at 11am and the under 15s at 2.30pm, both against Tigers.
Winning form is good form, especially when it’s against your next opponent, so the Seagulls will head to Bairnsdale full of confidence.
