Jarrod Humphries was simply outstanding at Harvey Oval on Saturday evening, as Harvey Brunswick Leschenault regained the Harvey Fresh Cup after an emphatic 104 point thumping of their northern neighbours, Harvey Bulls.
Humphries would kick a brilliant nine goals, as the Lions amassed the biggest opening round score since Eaton kicked 24 goals in 2019. On that day Jarrod Humphries who was then playing for Eaton, would kick ten goals.
The match was effectively over at quarter time, as the Lions stunned their hosts with a seven goal opening term. Blake Soulos received a free kick for a hold and duly converted from 30m out to start the scoring, with Connor Carbone kicking truly on the run three minutes later to extend the margin to 13 points. Humphries marked and goaled from right in front to kick the Lions third, as the Bulls defence was under
enormous pressure. At the fifteen minute mark Humphries received a free kick at the top of the goal square to kick his second.
The Bulls had their first foray inside fifty metres at the sixteen minute mark, before Carbone kicked his second.
A quick transference of play saw the Harvey defender have a chaos ball bounce over his head, landing in the arms of Humphries who kicked his third of the opening term and the Lions sixth, with the Bulls still scoreless.
Ty Anderson would kick a magnificent goal on the run from outside 50 right on the siren, which saw the Lions lead by 44 points.
There would be no let up in the second, with the Bulls kicking a behind at the six minute mark of the second quarter to finally be on the board. The Lions would kick four goals for the term, as the Bulls went through the first half without a goal.
It would be ten minutes into the third quarter before the home fans had anything to cheer about, with Dean Millers goal the best of the three the Bulls managed in the third term.
Any thought of the Lions cruising through the final term were erased pretty quickly, with the visitors kicking seven goals including three of the last four goals to Humphries in an outstanding display at full forward.
Jarrod Humphries would with the Nola Marino ANZAC Medal for best on ground. The Lions were in complete control from the outset, with their next match at home against Collie next Saturday, while the Bulls will travel to Kelly Park to play Carey Park who also lost in the opening round.
Match Centre
Harv Bruns Lesch 7.2.44 11.2.68 14.5.89 21.8.134
Harvey Bulls 0.0.0 0.3.3 3.4.22 4.6.30
Goals: Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Jarrod Humphries 9, Blake Offer 5, Connor Carbone 2, Ty Anderson 1, Levi Cooper 1, Geoffrey Saunders 1, Blake Soulos 1, Joshua Tartaglia 1. Harvey Bulls – Dean Miller 2, Zakery Pretty 1, Christian Tirli 1.
Best: Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Jarrod Humphries, Connor Carbone, Pierce Ferguson, Blake Offer, Ty Anderson, Ned Gualter. Harvey Bulls – Logan Egerton-green, Braden Fimmano, Zakery Pretty, Christian Tirli, Dean Miller, Charles Pickett
Ground: Harvey Oval
Umpires: Damien O’Donoghue, Matthew Stewart
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 721
Jarrod Humphries kick nine goals in the Lions 104 point win over the Bulls. Photos courtesy Jon Gellweiler