Football
30 May, 2025
Eagles fall just short... again
Another week and another close loss for the Eagles, this time at the hands of Nhill, who banked an 18-point victory in round six of the Wimmera Football Netball League.
Final scores were Warrack 10.13 (73) to Nhill 13.13 (91).
Coach of Warrack, Matt Walder, said it was almost the sound of the same beat: four games of about a three-goal margin.
"It's probably one lapse through a quarter that has let us down, and this week it was the third quarter where we just didn't penetrate enough and have an advantage at three-quarter-time," Walder reflected.
"We allowed Nhill into the breeze a couple of times and consequently they held the lead at three-quarter-time, and it was always going to be a tough gig coming home into it (the wind) to overrun them.
"But essentially, the game was there to be won.
"It was just one little lapse and next thing you are on that three-goal-loss margin again."
Asked if he could take solace in the fact that games had been just out of their grasp and once the side had clicked, more wins should be more in reach, Walder agreed he had to look at things that way.
"It would be different if we were getting beaten by 10 goals, 12 goals, and we weren't in the hunt, then it would be a different story," Walder said.
"But we are limiting the opposition to gettable scores; we just can't create enough opportunities to kick a bigger score.
"Our defence has been good.
"We just need to work on a way to be able to impact going back the other way and kick a winning score ourselves."
While Clay Shadforth and Liam Albrecht were the best players for Nhill, and Drew Schneider was the leading goal scorer with five majors, Walder said there were a few better players for his side.
"Matt Penny was good, as a small defender, and Lachie Stewart was terrific on a wing, kicking four goals," Walder said.
"Declan Powell played well through the middle of the ground, Machok Garang rucked probably 80 to 90 per cent of the game and stood tall all day, and Ben Hanna was also good through the middle for us as well."
This week, the Eagles face the Demons, with the Horsham side in a battle between eighth and ninth.
Asked if this was the week the side gets their first win for the season on the board, Walder was no-nonsense in his reply.
"Well, it has to be, doesn't it?" he said
"And we have to view it like that, and no doubt Horsham will be doing the same thing.
"But from our perspective, all those close results, we have to turn into a winning one now."
But it wasn't going to be easy – and the Eagles would need to be consistent over four quarters, the coach said.
"Our best footy is good enough, and we know that, it's just producing it for longer periods," he said.
"Getting a good start against a lively and young Horsham team is important."