Tigers reserves advance

by Davyd Reid
Lang Lang advanced to the second semi final in the Ellinbank District reserves, but they were forced to answer a final quarter challenge to take a thrilling five-point victory over Neerim-Neerim South.
Entering the final term with a 10-point advantage, that margin was soon evaporated as a fast-charging Cats hit the front.

It was left to Tadhg O'Riordan, who had played a key part in the Tigers' early first term advantage, to scramble a kick forward for his teammate to draw high contact and sink the Cats, 8-5 (53) to 7-6 (48).
O'Riordan booted the first goal of the contest and had a hand in others, the Tigers putting through the first three goals of the contest to take a 16-point lead into the first change.
The sides traded blows as the game opened up in the second term, four goals apiece maintaining the status quo at the long break.
Typical of a final, the contest tightened again as the Cats ran through the only goal of the third term to close the margin to 10-points.
Kalin Parker, Rhyce Harvie, Devlin Parker, Andrew Thompson, Kurt Batt and Trent Harvie were helping the Tigers hold the slight edge.
Harry Notman, Aaron Mitchell, Jack Erickson, Toby Bayne, Christian Robertson-Edgar and Timothy Beaurain began to step up as the Cats made a final charge.
Luck was on their side as a kick from the pack bounced over a defender's head and through the goals.
Inspired, the Cats won the ball from the middle with a snap from the pack putting them in front.
A scrambled kick forward from O'Riordan helped the Tigers take back the lead and trap the ball in their forward half.
Fittingly the ball finished with O'Riordan, only for an anti-climatic finish as he kicked into the man on the mark.
BULN BULN controlled its contest against Longwarry from quarter time, comfortably winning the reserves clash 12-15 (87) to 3-5 (23).
The Lyrebirds opened proceedings with a long running goal, the Crows responding with a goal to Paul Williams over the back.
A late goal put the Lyrebirds in front and they were able to control the contest from there.
Logan Wallmeyer snapped from in front of the pack before Lex Wright converted from a 50-metre penalty to increase the margin to 25-points at the long break.
The Crows put in a competitive third term, scoring two goals to three as Williams responded from a 50-metre penalty of his own.
The Lyrebirds threw a boot at one from the goal square as Jared Lane, Sean Symes, Reece Campbell, Brendan Wall, Dylan Cann and Ryan Bradshaw helped maintain the buffer at the final change.
Trying to bring the Crows back into the contest were John Werner, Zach Murphy, Leigh McDonald, Paul Williams, Mitchell Young and Janik De Silva.
The Lyrebirds carried on in the final term to close the match with the final five goals.
An unchecked Wallmeyer for his second and a running goal from Reece Campbell, along with a snap from Wright capped a strong victory.