A red-hot Boisdale Briagolong blew Lakes Entrance away in the opening term of their round 11 East Gippsland Football Netball League (EGFNL) clash at the Cabbage Patch last Saturday.
Winning the toss and kicking with a handy breeze, the Bombers slammed home eight goals to one, opening up a commanding 41-point margin by the first change.
Forced to play catch-up football for the remainder of the afternoon, Lakes Entrance never shirked the issue, matching the top-of-the-table home side over the final three quarters. Ultimately, the damage was done early, with the Bombers kicking the final two goals of the contest to run out 41-point victors.
Both sides entered the clash well short of full strength. The Seagulls made the away trip without key personnel including Sam Brown, Logan Brown, Dylan Nikolajew, Tom Hudson, Angus Stevens and Josh Wykes, while the Bombers suited up without Josh Davis, Jesse Ross, Andrew McKenzie, Kel Porter and Ben and Matt Wilkinson.
Boisdale Briagolong came out firing. High-jumping ruckman Reiley Rhodes gave the hosts first use of the football in the centre, continually finding moving targets such as Nick Marshall, Tom Jolly, co-coach Kade Renooy and Ben Brunt, whose long kicking in the first 30 minutes was devastatingly effective.
Up forward, Bombers skipper Jim Reeves carried on from where he left off last week, booting six goals in another classy exhibition and proving incredibly difficult to beat when isolated one-on-one. Unheralded Seagull defender Tully Davis battled tirelessly on Reeves all day in what was a demanding afternoon at the office.
Lakes Entrance coach Darren Martin threw the magnets at the board at the first change to stem the bleeding. The adjustments worked, with the Seagulls putting together an impressive six-goals-to-four second quarter to reduce the deficit to 29 points at the main break.
Youngster Charlie Graham moved into the ruck and successfully nullified Rhodes, combining well with Mitch Banner and Sean Smith, who were both pivotal in getting the Seagulls moving. Fellow youngster Elijah Zagami was handed the job on the exquisitely skilled Jackson Glenane, who had orchestrated several first-term goals from half back. To Zagami’s credit, he greatly lessened the effect of the hard-running Bomber over the final three quarters.
Goals became a premium in the second half as the match tightened into a defensive arm-wrestle. Late goals to the home side saw them outscore the visitors three goals to two across the final two terms. Boisdale Briagolong missed several uncharacteristic chances in front of goal as their minor scores accumulated, though much of that was due to the intense pressure applied by a determined Lakes Entrance outfit.
The Bombers entered the round as the 2026 premiership favourites, but with the margin sitting at 34 points at three-quarter time, the Seagulls still had a sniff heading home with the breeze. However, the benchmark Bombers refused to yield, keeping the visitors at arm’s length and preventing them from getting within four goals at any stage in the final term.
Marshall and Brunt finished with two goals each for the Bombers, while Banner and Josh Piper booted two apiece for the Seagulls.
Jolly, Brunt, Marshall, Reeves, Rhodes, and Rhys Johnson were named among the best for the home side. For the visitors, Graham, Kaleb Day, Smith, Banner, Davis, and Zagami led the way.
The EGFNL will enjoy a league-wide competition bye this weekend. The Seagulls will return to action on Saturday, July 11, when they host Lindenow at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve.
The Seagulls currently sit fifth on the ladder, four points adrift of the fourth-placed Orbost Snowy Rovers. On paper, Lakes Entrance appears to have a more favourable run home than the Blues, making the round 15 clash between the two sides at the Lakeside Oval pivotal in deciding who clinches the final golden ticket into the top four.
Martin remains bullish about his side’s finals aspirations and is excited for the challenges ahead.
“We are capable of beating every side in the competition. If we get the right personnel on the park, we could easily win our last six matches,” Martin said.
The Seagulls are expecting to boast a full list to choose from when they tackle the Cats after the bye.
