Orbost Snowy Rovers continued its impressive mid-season surge with a dominant 87-point victory over Paynesville in round 10 of the East Gippsland Football Netball League (EGFNL) at AJ Freeman Reserve last Saturday.
It was the second consecutive win for the Blues, who sit comfortably in fourth place on the ladder — four points and a significant 34 per cent ahead of arch-rivals Lakes Entrance, who are hot on their heels in fifth.
In the final six rounds of the home-and-away season Orbost Snowy will face a defining run, hosting Boisdale Briagolong, Wy Yung and Lucknow, while traveling to take on Stratford, Lindenow and Lakes Entrance. The round 15 road trip to tackle the Seagulls at the Lakeside Oval on August 8 looms as a potential elimination final, though plenty of football remains to be played before then.
The Blues finally welcomed back crucial utility Byron Vickery following foot surgery.
His return, alongside the recent inclusion of Max Welsh, provides Orbost Snowy with a massive mid-season boost. Both are clever users of the football who thrive in heavy traffic, consistently bringing their teammates into the contest.
The Blues completely dominated general play in the opening term, but inaccurate kicking kept the Gulls within 12 points at the first change.
With Tom Smith and Kieran Vickery (four goals each) providing an effective focal point inside the forward 50 during the second quarter, Orbost exploded.
The Blues slammed home eight unanswered goals while holding the home side scoreless, pairing defensive pressure with creative forward entries to blow the margin out to 64 points at the long break.
The Gulls battled manfully in the second half, manufacturing more inside 50s with sharper ball movement and retaining possession whenever possible.
Despite their renewed effort, they were still outscored six goals to three by a well-drilled Blues outfit. Errant goalkicking from the visitors ultimately kept the final winning margin under triple figures.
Midfielders Gus Rogers and Bobby Bills finished with two goals each for the visitors. Meanwhile, one of the forgotten men of local football — three-time Bruthen premiership star Craig Taylor — booted three majors for the Gulls. Taylor, who previously played for Paynesville in 2016, was making just his second appearance since the 2019 Omeo District Football Netball League grand final.
The hard-running Bills was clearly best on ground, turning in his most productive and influential performance of the season.
Sean Nippress, Kieran Vickery, Thomas Smith, Gus Rogers and the versatile Jordan Ross also stood out in the victory.
Mitchell Willmott, Boris Bryant, Harry Gibbs, Alex Saunders, Mark Cooper and Andrew Quin all enjoyed good patches for Paynesville on an afternoon where the momentum was heavily tilted toward the visitors.
The EGFNL will enjoy a league-wide competition bye this weekend.
Orbost Snowy Rovers will return to action on Saturday, July 11, when they host premiership favourites Boisdale Briagolong in a blockbuster clash at Lochiel Park.
