Harvey Brunswick Leschenault and Dunsborough have played out the most thrilling of draws at Brunswick Oval, in the opening match of round six of the Dale Alcock Homes South West, South West Football League season.
Dunsborough made a stunning second half comeback to draw the match, which culminated in a pulsating last fifteen minutes where the lead changed hands four times.
The match commenced with an arm wrestle, with Dunsborough kicking the first two scores of the match, both behinds, but it would be eighteen minutes before the first goal would be kicked, with Jacoby Parfitt converting a set shot. Two minutes later Jai Rout kicked truly on the run from deep in the pocket, and when John Manuel took a strong pack mark and then goaled, the Lions had a handy eighteen point lead.
It would be much of the same in the second, with Jarrod Humphries taking a one hander to put the Lions further in front, and when Lattrell May snapped truly, the Lions led by thirty points. Jai Rout would launch a long range goal at the fifteen minute mark to give the Lions the first six goals of the game. Paris Murdoch would kick the Sharks only goal of the half at the twenty minute mark, as the home side went to half time thirty points in front.
Jarrod Humphries would kick the opening goal of the third term to again extend the margin to thirty six points. The Lions would then not score another goal until the fifteen minute mark of the final term, as the Sharks started a stunning comeback. Cain Reynolds started the comeback converting a set shot, and Bill Jones narrowed the margin further after receiving a free kick. Caydhen Black would win the race to the ball which spilled over the back of the pack to kick the Sharks next, soccering the ball at close range into goal umpire Jason Morrow. His momentum then saw Black wrap himself around the goal post. The Sharks momentum continued, with players running all over the ground and when Cain Reynolds goaled in time on, the margin was back to ten points.
The Sharks continued to run in waves, and missed some golden opportunities early in the last to close the deficit further. Twelve minutes went by before Dash Bridgham ran into an open goal to narrow the margin to a point. The ball was living in the Dunsborough forward half, and when Black ran into an open goal, remarkably the Sharks had hit the front. The Lions defence was under enormous pressure, and eventually they got the ball forward of the centre, with Billy Boucher sending the Lions faithful into raptures as the Lions kicked their first goal in 41 minutes to take back the lead. The Sharks weren’t done with, with Mack Candy giving the Sharks a five point lead again at the twenty four minute mark. Two minutes later Jai Rout received a free kick for kicking in danger, after a desperate passage of play, and when he goaled the Lions led by a point yet again. The players weren’t aware, but the there was still more than two minutes to play, and the Sharks went forward again. A ball up ten metres out from goal saw a hack kick out of mid-air go through for a point, leveling the scores.
The drama wasn’t over, with the ball coming to the members wing in the final minute as the Lions streamed forward. A desperate smother saw the Sharks go forward again leading to a ball up deep in the pocket when the siren sounded, giving the competition its first draw of the season.
It was the Lions ninth ever League draw, while for the Sharks it was their second in forty four games. Nine games have now been decided by ten points or less in the first 26 games of the season.
The epic match saw players slump to the ground when the siren sounded, having given their all in what was a fantastic game of football.
SCOREBOARD
Harv Bruns Lesch 3.2.20 6.3.39 7.4.46 9.4.58
Dunsborough 0.2.2 1.3.9 5.6.36 8.10.58
Goals: Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Jai Rout 3, Jarrod Humphries 2, Billy Boucher 1, John Manuel 1, Lattrell May 1, Jacoby Parfitt 1. Dunsborough – Caydhen Black 2, Cain Reynolds 2, Dash Bridgham 1, Mack Candy 1, Bill Jones 1, Paris Murdoch 1.
Best: Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Ty Anderson, Jesse Crichton, Sebastian Dixon, Jai Rout, Zavier Williams, John Manuel. Dunsborough – Simon Moore, Jake Green, Darcy Hume, Braden Fimmano, Mack Candy, Luton Eardley.
Ground: Brunswick Oval
Umpires: Talen Guthrie, Braden Surrall
Crowd: 701