The NFL ran away emphatic winners over the WRFL in their WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championship clash.
The Northern Football League outclassed the Western Region Football League with far better foot skills going forward to win 24.17 (161) to 5.6 (36) at Preston City Oval.
Montmorency midfielder Stephen McCallum won the medal as the player adjudged best afield.
McCallum provided a key link between defence and attack through the middle of the ground for the NFL, finding a good balance of inside and outside ball.
The NFL and WRFL went into the match as the 5th and 6th ranked competitions respectively. As the winner, the NFL will now move up to play in the 3rd v 4th match in 2018.
The WRFL showed some fight in the first quarter as both sides proved ineffective in front of goal. It wasn’t until the 20-minute mark that Northcote Park’s Ash Close broke the deadlock with a set-shot goal.
The ruck battle between NFL champion and co-captain Matt Dennis and athletic WRFL ruckman Bol Kolang was the highlight of the first term.
Both sides rued missed chances and the NFL headed into the first break leading 9-5.
The game started to open up in the second quarter as the NFL’s superior ball movement helped it begin to hit the scoreboard.
NFL midfielders Jordan Perry, Lucas Hobbs, co-captain Jesse Donaldson and McCallum started to control the tempo of the match.
Heidelberg utilty Adam Symes and Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 leading goal kicker James Kroussoratis hit the scoreboard with their first majors, followed by goals to Bundoora livewire Josh Grabowski and Macleod midfielder Hobbs.
WRFL tall forward Jordan Staley was proving a tough match up down forward, making the most of few and far between inside-50 entries to kick the only two first-half goals for the WRFL.
By half time the NFL had opened up a 49-point buffer to lead 10.7 (67) to 2.6 (18).
The WRFL kicked their third and fourth goals inside the first ten minutes of the third term, with Hoppers Crossing veteran Reece Miles providing both.
Miles started to find the footy around the ground and along with some help from Nayaf Hamad, tried to wrestle back some momentum.
However, back-to-back goals to Bundoora mobile forward and midfielder Liam Byrne ended any hope of a WRFL comeback.
His Bulls’ teammate Grabowski kicked goals either side of the last break as the margin started to widen.
Banyule power forward James Kroussoratis kicked three majors in his eventual five-goal haul in a five-minute last quarter spurt. He had earlier been in a fine battle with young Hoppers Crossing tall defender Braden Ferrari.
The hat-trick of goals followed an outstanding majar by Ned McKeown, who was on the starting and receiving end of a superb coast-to-coast play and finished with a goal from the 50m arc.
Close kicked his fifth goal 20 minutes into the last quarter before Hobbs burst from the resulting centre bounce to kick a superb running 50-metre goal to put some icing on the cake.
The siren sounded on the 30-minute mark of the fourth quarter to hand the NFL their 125-point win.
The Northern Football League action will resume this week, as this weekend’s teammates will become rivals once again.
Final score: NFL 24.17 (161) def WRFL 5.6 (36)
NORTHERN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Goal Kickers: J. Kroussoratis 5, A. Close 5, J. Grabowski 3, L. Byrne 2, L. Hobbs 2, T. Simpson 2, J. White, I. Muller, A. Woods, A. Symes, N. McKeown
Best Players: S. McCallum, J. Perry, L. Hobbs, J. Donaldson, A. Woods, B. Marshall
WESTERN REGION FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Goal Kickers: R. Miles 2, J. Staley 2, B. Christodoulou
Best Players: L. Cavanagh, B. Ferrari, N. Hamad , B. Kolang, J. Linton, R. Miles
