Lakes Entrance scored its second victory of the East Gippsland football season, holding off a determined Paynesville to win by 11 points at the Lakeside Oval in round 11 last Saturday.
The Seagulls were buoyed pre-game by the return of outstanding former junior player Emmett Carroll from Springvale Districts and the debut of promising youngster, Kurt Grabham, among five changes to the side that was defeated by arch rival Orbost Snowy Rovers seven days prior.
Seagulls senior coach, Ben Rotheram, was confident of success pregame, talking up the chances of his young charges.
“We have been competitive in recent weeks, a win is a non-negotiable for this evolving young Seagull outfit,” Rotheram said prior to taking the field.
It certainly was a match that kept the most devoted Seagulls spectator on the edge of their seat.
Paynesville was impressive early, with Charlie Mein, Caleb Crofts and Oscar Pike leading the way through the centre, opening up an 18-point advantage by quarter time.
Lakes Entrance stemmed the bleeding in the second quarter, led by the Carroll brothers, captain Liam and younger brother Emmett, the Seagulls kicking two goals to one for the term to narrow the margin to 14 points, but with plenty of work to be done if a much-needed win was to come to fruition.
With the aid of a significant breeze in the third term, and off the back of plenty of words of encouragement at half time from the upbeat Rotheram, the Seagulls played their best quarter of football since their win against Lindenow in round six.
It was the third quarter that set the win up at Lindenow that day, and that was again the case last Saturday, Lakes Entrance adding six unanswered goals to lead by 25 points at three quarter time.
Young Matt Pearce continues to impress in the ruck, his efforts in the third term bringing co-captain Angus McKenzie, George Ioakim and the hard-running Brendan Bassett into the game, the Seagulls dominating the clearances and inside 50s.
Young guns Thomas Hudson and Oscar Brazzale combined brilliantly, given the opportunity to play alongside each other.
On many occasions this season Brazzale has been used across half back, where his outstanding kicking is used to get the Seagulls transitioning from the back 50, but he has always looked a natural forward.
Hudson kicked five goals to take his season total to 39 from 10 games, a great effort for a full forward in a side which has struggled for inside 50s in many games this season.
Brazzale chipped in with three, impressing his coach with his efforts.
“Oscar has struggled with illness for a few weeks this season, I’ve seen the turnaround in him over the last few weeks as he has recovered, his football has improved. In time I think he could become a key mid-fielder, he has all the attributes,” Rotheram said.
Even if that isn’t the case, a forward line with Hudson and Brazzale in it could be the cornerstone of the Seagulls’ next tilt at the finals, with both still just 18 years old.
Both sides had plenty to play for in the final stanza with the winner get the bragging rights offered up by sixth spot on the ladder.
It was tough going in the final term, with steady rain falling and the Gulls going home with the breeze.
They certainly had plenty of opportunities, peppering the goals and keeping the Seagulls scoreless.
But the brave Seagulls hung on, defending grimly as the Gulls could only add one goal and six behinds, Lakes Entrance home, but only just by 11 points.
The best players for the Seagulls were the Carroll brothers, McKenzie, Hudson, Brazzale, Bassett and Pearce, while Paynesville got good service from Aaron Cameron, Jordan Farquhar, Mein, Crofts, Pike, and Lewis Smith.
The East Gippsland Football Netball League will have a competition bye this week, before Lakes Entrance make the trek to Boisdale for its round 12 clash against the Bombers.
IMAGE: Lakes Entrance ruckman Matt Pearce leaps high to win a centre bounce ball up during the Seagulls’ hard-fought 11-point East Gippsland football win over Paynesville at the Lakeside Oval last Saturday. it was Lakes’ second win of the season and puts it percentage clear of the Gulls on the ladder.
