It was a weekend of mixed results for Lakes Entrance during round 13 of the East Gippsland Junior Football Association at the Lucknow Recreation Reserve.
The under 15s finished off their home-and-away season in style, recording their fourth consecutive victory with a commanding 50-point win over the Magpies.
An explosive opening term saw the Seagulls boot nine unanswered goals, effectively putting the game to bed by the first change. The early dominance allowed the coaching panel to experiment with structural changes and player rotations ahead of the upcoming finals series.
Lochie Yates was unstoppable inside the forward 50, having a day out to finish with a sensational 10-goal haul. Yvan Cabrera slotted four majors, Jeremy Rotheram continued his strong form with three, while Reide Ymer and Harry Strong chipped in with two apiece.
Among the best for the Seagulls in the dominant display were Yates, Rotheram, Henry Lothian, Cohen Kleinitz, Patrick McGinty and Mason Luu.
With a bye in the final round of the regular season, Lakes Entrance will enjoy an extra week to freshen up before a massive qualifying final appointment against arch rival Wy Yung at the Bairnsdale City Oval.
Meanwhile, the third-placed under 13 outfit fought hard but ultimately fell short, dropping a high-standard, close contest to the second-placed Magpies by seven points.
Momentum fluctuated throughout the day. The Seagulls looked sharp early to control the opening quarter, but the Magpies swooped in the middle two terms, building a 13-point advantage by three quarter time.
Lakes Entrance showed great character in the final 15 minutes, locking down defensively to keep the home side scoreless. While they managed to cut the margin to just seven points, they were unable to fully capitalise on the scoreboard despite the backline’s resolute efforts.
Jake Spiker was the Seagulls’ only multiple goalkicker on the day. The team’s best players were led by Jake Christison, Kobi Caldwell, Michael Sowden, John Sowden, Hudson Williams and Callum Yates.
Following the upcoming bye week, the under 13s will turn their focus toward a cut-throat elimination final against either Bairnsdale or Lindenow.
