FAMILY CURSE
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wangaratta’s Hedin family is having a tough time.
Zac Hedin was stretchered off in the second quarter.
“His kneecap popped and anyway it went back in and he thought he was going to be right, but obviously it wasn’t,” coach Dean Stone told Radio 3NE.
Hedin courageously returned, but collapsed when Yarrawonga was attacking.
Matt Hedin tore his ACL in round one last year and then re-injured the same knee in his comeback in round two.
FIRE BURNING?
Stone was quizzed by the media if the premiers still had the hunger.
“They should be after I just spoke to them,” he said.
“I think the hunger’s there, it’s certainly there from my perspective and I know it’s there from our leaders.
“We’ve just got to generate that hunger on through the group.”
You can talk as much as you like about seven players missing, but Yarrawonga out-enthused the Pies.
“The concern was the effort and the effort’s got to be there, that’s not pick and choose,” Stone said.
IMPROVED PIGEONS
When Yarrawonga got belted by Wodonga Raiders by 47 points a month ago, you would have thought a grand final was no chance.
But a gritty three-goal loss to Albury and now a 41-point win over Wangaratta has quickly changed opinions.
Utility Jake Wild has improved enormously and Bronson Schofield’s one of the league’s fittest.
Pacy forward Jess Koopman admits he’s also more involved.
“Yeah, I guess a bit, more confidence as you get older and just finding your footy a bit better,” he said.
RHYS’S KINGDOM
Albury small forward Rhys King wasn’t even thinking seniors when the season started.
“It wasn’t originally on my mind, I was just aiming more at the 2’s (reserve grade),” he said.
“I haven’t played cricket for the last few years, just focusing on footy.
“I just had a crack at the pre-season and it just turned out that I got the call-up.”
The 18-year-old schoolboy kicked four goals in the thumping of North Albury.
The 176cm livewire is the nephew of Tigers’ stalwart Merv King.
TOP FORM
Myrtleford’s Nathan Laracy is just finding his best form after a two-year battle with injury.
“He’s just coming right into his own with his fitness level and continuity with his footy, coming off a serious knee injury,” Saints’ co-coach Terry Burgess said.
Laracy hurt his PCL in 2016 at Werribee, but just couldn’t get it right last year.
He was finally forced to have surgery at the end of the season after racking up his 100th club game (33 in seniors) for the VFL club.
Laracy has been in the best the last four games.
LAWTON’S IMPACT
It was James Lawton’s first regular season game in 11 months, but he had an immediate effect.
“He definitely straightened us up, we knew he would,” Corowa-Rutherglen coach Marc Almond said.
“We know our Achilles’ heel all year has been some top-line midfielders and a key forward.
“He was right on the verge of kicking anywhere between five and eight goals.”
Lawton, who returned to the club after a long-running clearance dispute, kicked three goals in the loss to Lavington.