Blue Heelers feel the blues in AFL rep game

Three Gunnedah Bulldogs landed a goal each as the North West Blue Heelers fell to an 11-goal loss to the North Coast Force in last Saturday’s Northern NSW men’s AFL representative contest at Wolseley Park.

With the teams vying for the Challenge Shield in the first men’s representative fixture featuring the North West and North Coast teams since 2018, the North Coast outfit was too strong on the day.

The visitors led by just six points at quarter-time, before leading by 20 points at half-time and going on to win 18.9.117 to 7.9.51.

Liam Naismith, Darcy Hill, Andrew Osmond and Mason Louis were the Gunnedah players accompanied by players from the North West competition’s other clubs: Inverell, New England, Tamworth Kangaroos and Tamworth Swans.

Another Gunnedah player, Malcolm Roberts, was a late withdrawal.

The North Coast team contained a strong contingent of Coffs Harbour Breakers players as well as players from the Macleay Valley, Sawtell/Toormina, Nambucca Valley, Grafton and Port Macquarie clubs.

Naismith, Hill and Osmond kicked a goal each for the beaten side. Riley Dagger and Nicklaus Stanlan-Velt were the most prolific goal-kickers for the victors with five and four respectively.

Naismith landed a major from in front of the target to give the Blue Heelers a short-lived 1.0.6 to 0.1.1 lead.

A six-pointer each to Dagger, Stanlan-Velt and Jaymus Troutman helped North Coast to a 3.2.20 to 1.2.8 lead, before Lachlan Bennetts-Inkster booted a goal for the Blue Heelers right on quarter-time.

Two goals to Dagger in the second term were followed by a towering six-pointer to North West’s Matthew Hall, before Dagger found the target again.

A 50-metre penalty gifted North West’s Noah O’Neill a goal, before a long-range goal to North Coast on half-time made the score 7.5.47 to 4.3.27.

Hill and Osmond kicked a goal each in the second half, while Hunter Greene landed North West’s other goal in this period.

The Blue Heelers managed only 1.4.10 in the third term while the Force kicked six majors and three behinds, and then North Coast kicked 5.1.31 to 2.2.14 in the final quarter.