Collie Eagles recorded their second win of the season, when they defeated the Harvey Bulls at the Collie Recreation Ground on Sunday, in round thirteen of the Dale Alcock Homes South West, South West Football League season.
The Eagles reversed the result from earlier in the season, where they lost to the Bulls by a point, while on Sunday they would record a 32 point victory.
The home side started well, with goals Adam Bignell and Jebb Swallow in the opening five minutes, and when Fraser Healey kicked the Eagles third, things weren’t looking good for the visitors, and was made worse when Jayce Fontana kicked his first goal in time-on. The Bulls would record four behinds for the first term to trail by twenty two points at quarter time.
The Eagles would kick the first two goals of the second term, before a stirring fight back commenced from the Bulls, with Jake Chapman converting at the five minute mark, while a minute later Liam Lockley kicked accurately. It would be three goals in as many minutes when Evan Hill goaled, and all of a sudden the margin was back to eighteen points. The Eagles rallied by couldn’t find the major opening, and when Hugh Menzies and Chapman goaled late in the term, the margin had been cut to just five points.
After conceding five consecutive goals, the Eagles started the third with a goal after just twelve seconds to Matt Burton, but when Hill and Chapman kicked two further goals for the Bulls, the visitors took the lead. Matt Burton kicked his second in five minutes to give the Eagles back the lead, but Hayze Griffiths gave the Bulls the lead for a second time, in a quarter which had five goals kicked in the opening six minutes. The Eagles steadied and kicked the final four goals of the term to take a twenty three point lead into the final break.
When Burton kicked the opening goal of the final term, Collie’s lead had grown back to twenty nine points, surely an impossible position for the Bulls to come back from. The Bulls responded again, kicking three quick goals, and the margin was cut to twelve points with plenty of time to play. But Matt Burton kicked his sixth and gave the Eagles some breathing space, snuffing out any further challenge from the Bulls.
Burton played a great game for the Eagles as did Jebb Swallow, while the Bulls Hugh Menzies and Liam Lockey gained plenty of possessions.
Collie will now play Carey Park next Saturday at Kelly Park in the Indigenous Recognition Match, while the Bulls will host Dunsborough on Sunday.
SCOREBOARD
Collie Eagles 4.2.26 6.5.41 12.7.79 16.11.107
Harvey Bulls 0.4.4 5.6.36 8.8.56 11.9.75
Goals: Collie Eagles – Matthew Burton 6, Jayce Fontana 2, Adam Bignell 1, Jackson Bruce 1, Luke English 1, Fraser Healey 1, Odinn Kirk 1, Christian Mears 1, Zac Pilatti 1, Jebb Swallow 1. Harvey Bulls – Jake Chapman 3, Evan Hill 3, Liam Lockley 2, Luke Gill 1, Hayze Griffiths 1, Hugh Menzies 1.
Best: Collie Eagles – Matthew Burton, Jebb Swallow, Luke English, Paul Rinder, Teale De’Angelis, Liam Reuben. Harvey Bulls – Hugh Menzies, Liam Lockley, Brendan Gotti, Spence Wiggers, Jake Chapman, Hayze Griffiths.
Ground: Collie Recreation Ground
Umpires: Aaron Andrews, Matthew Stewart
Crowd: 394