GREAT Western has held on to win its first game of the Mininera and District league season by two points against the Ararat Eagles.
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The home side won 10.17 (77) to 11.9 (75) after leading at every change.
Great Western jumped out of the gate to have an eight-point lead at quarter time and then built on it in the second.
The margin of 19 points at the long break could have been much more had the side made more of its opportunities.
The Lions added three goals and six behinds to its quarter times lead to leave the door ajar for the Eagles.
Ararat Coach Brian Jenkins said his side played ordinary football in the first half.
“I let my blokes have it at half-time. It was an old-fashioned spray,” he said.
“We were just not accountable and we were letting blokes run free across the ground.
“It was our biggest game so far this year and it shouldn’t have taken a spray to get them going because I know the side is better than that.”
It was the away side that started the second half with more intent in its play as the 19-point margin closed to a single kick at the final break.
“To the credit of our side we did lift in the second half and that came from our better players,” he said.
“I just don’t know why we weren’t playing better during the first two quarters.”
The Eagles showed fight in the last quarter and eventually edged in front but could not hold on as the Lions moved back into the lead by the time the final siren sounded.
Brady Miller was best on ground for Great Western. Lions player Samuel Cocks added another four goals to his season tally, as did Brent Bulger for the Eagles.
Jenkins said that Nic Bulger was the only player to put in a full four quarter effort.
“He put in all day in the ruck and often gave us first use,” he said. “He was a major factor and marked plenty of the ball all over the ground.”
He said the loss was disappointing and hard to take.
“I’ll be honest, I had pencilled us in for a win,” he said.
“I believed we were the better side and perhaps the players did as well, maybe that is what let us down in the first half.
Jenkins said the Eagles had been playing well against tough opposition in the first two rounds of the season.
“Maybe it’s a fitness thing because we certainly haven’t been playing full quarter never mind a full four quarters,” he said. “But we have been training since November so we should be as fit as any other team out there.”
