MID-season recruit Aaron Cheong hasn’t wasted his time endearing himself to his new teammates after kicking the winning goal in Moyhu’s dramatic one-point home triumph against Greta on Saturday.
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The ruckman and forward, in his sixth and best, game since joining the premier from Ovens and Murray club Wangaratta, put Moyhu in front by kicking the winning goal with less than four minutes remaining after marking strongly and kicking from 30 metres out directly in front.
The dramatic finish encapsulated the game, one that both sides didn’t deserve to lose.
A three-quarter-time spray from Hoppers coach John McNamara worked a treat, with Moyhu responding from a 28-point deficit at the last change.
Hoppers star Jeremy Wilson said he feared the worst early in the last term.
“They kicked the first goal of the last quarter so I thought we were in a fair bit of trouble,” Wilson said. “We just didn’t give up.
“We copped a bit of a spray at three-quarter-time ... and I think the boys responded.
“We just had to get in first and attack the ball.”
Moyhu bolted out of the blocks to lead by 17 points at quarter- time after booting an inaccurate 4.6 (30) to 2.1 (13).
Dan McLaughlin’s Blues turned the tables in the second term, booting 4.1 to cut the margin to two points at the long break.
Greta then took that momentum into the third term as the floodgates threatened to open.
The Blues booted 7.1 to 2.1 to open up an unstoppable 28-point lead at three-quarter-time.
But if they thought they had won it they were mistaken, with the Hoppers mounting an unforgettable comeback.
“We got off to a pretty good start, we just didn’t kick straight,” Wilson said.
“We should have been further in front at quarter-time.
“We dropped our intensity a bit after that.
“They moved the ball well and kicked straight.
“Jack Humphries was really good and I think Chris O’Connor kicked five goals in the third quarter.”
Humphries and O’Connor booted 10 between them, while McLaughlin, Liam Dakin and Paul Fruzynski were also impressive for Greta.
Forward pocket Darren Petersen booted five for Moyhu, which was well led by Cheong, midfielder Scott Thomson and defenders Leroy Dowling and Jordan Blades.
At North Wangaratta, the Hawks came from 19 points down at the last change to beat King Valley by just two points in another thriller.
Matt Smith, Owen Patterson and Michael Naish (four goals) were outstanding for the home side, while Adam Williams, Anthony Ciancio (five goals) and Aaron Kiely (four goals) were impressive for the Roos.
In other matches, Richie Leahy took his season goal tally to 109 with a nine-goal haul in Whorouly’s 59-point home win against Bright; Kent Braden booted seven to lead Tarrawinge to a 57-point win at Tatong; Luke Sims booted 11 in Milawa’s 140-point home win against Bonnie Doon; Warwick Forman was Swanpool’s best player in its impressive 53-point win at Goorambat and Daryl Webb led the Benalla All Blacks to a 261-point home victory against Glenrowan.
