Stars outshine Giants

by Nicholas Duck
Garfield secured their first win of the season in a high-scoring – and highly entertaining – battle with Korumburra Bena.
Two of the competition's lower ranked sides from the past few years put on a contest belying their placings, the Stars proving too strong in a 17.15 (117) to 14.6 (90) shootout.
Both the Stars and Giants were happy to run and gun and put their leg speed to work in what was a fairly open game played in great weather.
When the match was there to be won though, it was Garfield who held sway at the contest, largely thanks to the efforts of young ruck Ding Dieng.
Dieng continued to show why he's well on track to becoming one of the competition's superstars in a superb performance across the ground.
Dieng's tap work was so spot on at times you could almost see the Garfield players licking their lips at the chance to get on the end of the ball.
James Freeman presented a consistent target inside 50 and ended his day on five goals, the most for the Stars and the equal most of anyone on the field.
Angus Emery was super solid at half back, Jahmain Harrison and coach Eddie Morris put in a power of work through the middle and happily took advantage of Dieng's work while Tom Kelly rounded out the best, working hard along the wing and half forward all day.
Korumburra Bena were best served by backman Guy Dickson, who for the second week running put in a brilliant stint in defence.
Dickson almost singlehandedly kept the Giants in the contest on several occasions as he denied the Stars again and again.
Jordan Waite's five goals were vital to the home side's efforts while Jordan Ceppi, Kodie Walker and Aaron Turton all played well.
The early stages of the day made it clear both teams were capable of scoring quickly.
Waite opened the Giants' account not long after the first bounce, running in a major from point blank range as Morris countered minutes later, soccering through a goal following a scramble on the line.
Things went that way for a while, the teams going toe to toe in a very watchable game of footy – a far cry from the slog Garfield went through the week before.
It wasn't until late in the second that the Stars were able to make their move, booting the final four goals of the half to break away by 34 points at the break.
Three of those came from solid play further afield, Garfield creating marks inside 50 to Matt Rennie, Nathan King and Tom Kelly.
The last, however, was entirely on the Giants when coach Josh Hopkins delivered a poor kick out of full back, putting his teammate under immediate pressure and allowing Jed Pinkerton to capitalise.
Cap that off with the first centre clearance of the second half landing in Rennie's lap again and suddenly the margin was out to 40 and a blowout threatened.
To their credit the home side refused to give in, chipping into the lead and bringing it back to 22 at three quarter time.
That deficit was reduced even further early in the last when Ryan Gillis won a free kick for holding the man, his checkside flying through and sending one of the league's more unique personalities off and racing to celebrate.
That would be as close as the Giants got, however, after another gorgeous tap from Dieng inside 50 gave James Freeman the time he needed to snap one and break the momentum.
From there Garfield would go on with it, holding the Giants at arm's length to record their first win of 2026.
Speaking post-game, Morris was pleased with his team's ball movement and ability to score – especially after kicking just two goals the week before.
"We were making a lot of chances for ourselves, in that second quarter we kicked 5.6. If we could have kicked straight it could have been 10 goals and it could have been over early," he said.
"We probably were a bit too tall down back and let a few easy ones in out the back but we were really good at the contest.
"It was one of those games where we had eight or nine guys play really well and then our role players also did their part. Everyone contributed to the win."
Now 1-1, Garfield will enjoy a week's break before facing the league's best side in Nar Nar Goon, where we will get a real sense for how much they've improved.