THE Murray Bushrangers overcame the loss of two Ovens and Murray young guns to register their best win of the season over Sandringham on Saturday.
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After being held scoreless by the Dragons in windy conditions in the opening quarter, things got worse for the Bushies in the second term when Albury’s Lachie Tiziani and Yarrawonga’s Damon Hemphill were stretchered from the field following a heavy collision.
Tiziani, who was knocked out, and Hemphill, who copped a heavy knock to the head, played no further part in the match as the Bushies charged to second spot on the ladder with a courageous 11.10 (76) to 8.11 (59) win over their fellow top-four rivals.
The Bushrangers kicked seven goals to one in the final quarter to storm over the top of the Dragons with several of the Ovens and Murray’s most promising players featuring strongly.
Isaac Wallace showed he is getting back to his best after a broken leg, with his contested work a highlight while his Wodonga Bulldogs teammate Trent McMullan was a tower of strength in the ruck.
Corowa-Rutherglen’s Ryan Garthwaite regularly cut off the Dragons across half-back while North Albury’s Ben Paton showed no ill effects of an ankle injury to be among the Bushies’ best.
Mansfield’s James Cousins and highly rated Deniliquin draft prospect Todd Marshall kicked three goals each, with the Victorian Country academy member’s contribution coming in the barnstorming final quarter.
Bushrangers coach Leon Higgins rated the victory as the club’s best for the season.
“I think it makes our win even better, losing two players before half-time,” he said.
“It’s probably our best win for the year, in the circumstances.
“It was really tough conditions.
“Losing two players early in the game against an opposition that was one spot above us on the ladder all adds up to our best win for the year, I think.
“We just couldn’t get our hands on the ball in the first quarter.
“It was a really good effort for the last three quarters of the game.
“From the middle of the second quarter we started to win some contested ball and then our third quarter was fantastic.
“It’s really good to go into the week off with a good win against good opposition.”
Higgins said Tiziani would definitely miss if the Bushrangers were playing this weekend but expected both he and Hemphill would be fit to take on ladder-leader Dandenong Stingrays after the bye.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen two stretchers on the ground at the same time,” Higgins said.
“They were both really committed to winning the footy and collided.”