Orbost Hockey Club was back in action for round 13 of the East Gippsland Hockey Association (EGHA) season when it took on Maffra at the WORLD facility in Bairnsdale.
The Green and Gold junior teams showed plenty of determination as they battled the chilly conditions and their opponents, coming away with a win, a draw and a narrow loss.
The opening under 10s fixture was a tightly fought affair that saw plenty of strong attacks thwarted by brave tackling by both sides.
With Frida Songailo and Zoe Griebenow contesting hard in the centre, Orbost was able to work the ball forward with regularity on to the sticks of Lara Kenny and Demi Murray in particular, with the latter unlucky not to score on a pair of occasions, one shot hitting the post and another travelling the wrong side of it.
After Maffra seized the lead in the first half, the combination of Lyla Gilmour and Keira Murray helped to sustain a Green and Gold attack which Joe Millward was able to complete when he drove through the defensive traffic to equalise.
Although Orbost was always looking to go forward in search of the decisive goal, most of the late action saw them frantically defending their own line, with both Coden Volk and Sadie Lindfield making important tackles and clearances when their team needed them.
Maffra made one last push for victory in the dying seconds, but when Kenny was able to deflect a goal-bound shot onto the post and ultimately to safety, the well-earned draw was secured.
Final score: Orbost 1 dw Maffra 1.
Orbost’s under 12s were able to continue on with their promising season when they recorded their eighth win of 2025 thanks to another strong attacking performance, one which saw them generate multiple goal-scoring opportunities from multiple sources.
Belle Healey was regularly well-positioned on the far post and was a matter of inches away from scoring on three separate occasions, while Joe Millward was denied a trio of goals of his own by a combination of the goalie’s pads and one shot which somehow rolled along the goal-line rather than over it.
Strong tackling and rebounding work by Savannah Lindfield and Malky Morrison kept Maffra’s attacks to a minimum, with goalie Jaxon Murray also stepping up with his big boots to clear any danger.
Geoffrey Florance was always threatening in the centre and up front with the ball on his stick, and it was an impressive team move involving himself and Asha Farley that created the space for Cohen Mathews to power home Orbost’s opening goal.
After an individual drive on goal by Morrison was saved and Isobel Lawless had an opportunity after a Florance cross, it was Mathews again who stepped up to wrap up the victory when he was perfectly placed to convert a precise cross from Millward.
Final score: Orbost 2 d Maffra 0.
Orbost’s under 14s played out a rollercoaster of a game, one in which they jumped out into an early lead before finding themselves in a three-goal hole from which they mounted a stirring comeback that was only ended by the width of a goal-keeping pad.
A great piece of play by Geoffrey Florance opened up the defence to allow Jasper Anderson to score, and when Lara Kenny went close on the post from a corner and Joe Millward saw his shot cleared off the line, it appeared the Green and Gold were in the driving seat.
Maffra however had other ideas and once it found its own offensive rhythm, was able to score three times before the half time break and once after it to take control of the contest.
Orbost’s youngsters never gave up hope, and with Kitty Millward’s sterling defensive work plus goalie Jacob Rutherford growing in confidence with each second half save he made, the fightback began.
A clever piece of clearance work by Peter Florance created a counterattack led by Keira Irvine that saw her shot scrambled to safety, and after some intense forward pressure led to a series of corners being earned, Anderson drilled home a direct strike from one of them to give his team a life.
A strong run forward and a successful shot by Anderson moments later brought the margin back to a single
goal, and with seconds remaining the same player looked to repeat the dose, only for his potential equalising shot to find the goalie’s pads rather than the cage itself.
Final score: Maffra 4 d Orbost 3.
Orbost’s under 16s may have gone down to defeat on this particular day, but they certainly fought fire with fire against a strong opponent who they may meet in the forthcoming finals series, scoring a pair of impressive goals in the process.
Indeed it was the Green and Gold who seized the early initiative when Mitch Farley made a dynamic run down the wing to create a one-on-one with the keeper that he was able to win by forcing his second effort home, while Jasper Anderson (into the side), Keira Irvine (on the post) and Aster Anderson (just wide) all had shots that went agonisingly close to extending the lead.
Jack Scott performed bravely in goal throughout, including a dramatic slap down of a powerful shot, while Leni Millward led the backline with a number of big tackles and crucial interceptions.
Although Maffra was able to steadily pull away with goals of its own at regular intervals, Orbost never let its intensity drop and was rewarded with a gem of a score in the late proceedings, when a clever faked shot by Chloe Findley from a corner wrong footed the defence and allowed her to calmly pick her spot in the back of the cage.
Final score: Maffra 6 d Orbost 2.
The subsequent under 18s match saw a similar set of circumstances play out, with Maffra’s attacking firepower being enough to secure them the competition points, but Orbost’s desire to keep battling throughout certainly stood out.
Mitch Farley experienced plenty of heat in the Orbost goal but performed admirably to keep many shots from many different angles out, while Mia Martin, Leni Millward and Ellie Florance all chalked up crucial defensive clearances to thwart their opponents’ attacks.
Jack Scott’s strong rebounding and Joe Mathews’ hard-running played important roles in generating Green and Gold attacks with sharp chances from Campbell Edlington and Aster Anderson representing their best scoring opportunities in the first half.
The deserved breakthrough finally came in the fourth quarter when Jasper Anderson powered home a shot from a corner, and after Dom Preston had made a rampaging end-to-end charge in the dying minutes, Anderson was on point to convert his team’s second goal from the top of the ‘D’.
Final score: Maffra 4 d Orbost 2.
The final fixture of the day was the women’s match which saw Maffra score four goals in each half as it eased to a comfortable victory, but once again the Green and Gold never stopped striving for scores of their own. Maddie Fecondo was the key to the Orbost attack and on a pair of occasions her drives in on goal were only denied by the goalie’s pads, while a further trio of her crosses were almost converted by Sammi Reynolds, Marni Riordan and Connie Greenwood respectively at various stages of the game.
The dynamic defensive duo of Sarah McDonald and Lisa Murray diverted or deflected numerous Maffra shots to safety with goalie Alana Farley displaying some sharp footwork to achieve the same, while further
up the ground it was the combined craft and graft of Kerryn Volk, Misty Anderson and Bree Kenny that provided the impetus across midfield to keep the ball moving forward for Orbost.
Final score: Maffra 8 d Orbost 0.
Orbost Hockey Club will be back in action on Saturday when it contests its final home fixtures of the year when it welcomes local rivals Swan Reach to the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
Later that evening the club members and their friends and families will gather at the Orbost Community College for their main fundraiser of the season, the Annual Trivia Night.
