SIX AND CLIMBING
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Ovens and Murray has jumped to sixth on the AFL Victoria Community Championships ladder following the seven-point win over Goulburn Valley.
Geelong remains number one after toppling Mornington Peninsula Nepean by 22 points at the MCG.
Eastern is now second, followed by MPN, Northern and Essendon District.
GV is now ninth.
O and M’s opponent for next year won’t be decided until November.
FLYING FRENCHMAN
Michael Bordignon is playing with a burst blood vessel.
Bordignon, whose family origin is French, played with heavy strapping on his left knee in the second half.
“I’ve popped a blood vessel, it just plays up every so often,” he said.
The defender produced two superb pieces of play in a 30-second period in the third quarter.
He stopped the dangerous Steven Stroobants and then took an outstanding mark.
“He plays small and he’s really good overhead, he’s been like that all year,” team-mate Michael Newton said.
TICK THE BOX
Albury’s Chris Hyde will go down as one of the league’s oldest debutants.
Hyde is one of the league’s quiet achievers, who certainly doesn’t court publicity, but he found himself in the news after agreeing to play late on Wednesday night.
“If I wasn’t 100 per cent in, I wasn’t going to play but after I made the phone call to Dash (co-coach Darrell Spencer) I was in 100 per cent and I’m absolutely rapt that I played,” he said.
But while it could be the 34-year-old’s last game, the league might have found a long-time star.
“Like it’s alright running around each week at club level, but it’s just a good challenge and it’s good to keep interleague going, I’m all for it,” Mark Whiley said.
AFL TARGETS
Whiley’s starring performance will sow the seed for all club officials.
The introduction of the player points system has the potential to ward off clubs from signing AFL players, but Whiley showed that gun six-point players are crucial.
The 24-year-old has been a standout at club level and it was noticeable at rep level, he was one of the few players to still have time.
On the flipside, clubs will also be scouring the bush leagues with Michael Duncan (Mitta United) one of O and M’s best, while Elliott Powell (Dederang Mount Beauty) kicked a vital goal in the second term.
STATUS QUO
Ben Speight best summed up rep footy.
“You punch the crap out of the blokes every week and now playing with them, we can go home and have a beer with them and then go punch the crap out of each other next week,” he laughed.
Wangaratta’s Speight will face three team-mates against Wodonga.