18 Aug 2017
The 15's AFL team travelled to Gol Gol recently to compete in the third round of the CHS knockout competition. They were met there by the Willyama High School team from Broken Hill.
The game was played in extremely wet and slippery conditions, which was reflected by the scoreboard. The end result saw our team go down by 19 points (23-4) over four 15-minute quarters however, it was a fantastic effort by the team.
Broken Hill arrived about one hour late and by the time the game started, the rain that had been coming down all night had also started coming down again. The first quarter set the standard with a strong showing by both defences. Willyama scored one goal and two points for the quarter while we were restricted to two points. Zac Hanrahan, Jake Jewell and Myles Harland all started well and were well supported by Toby Whyte, Rowan Duncan, Rhyle Davis and Brennan Pursehouse.
The second 15 minutes saw both teams register a solitary point for the term with the ball going backwards and forwards around the centre of the ground. The skill level was still quite good despite the poor conditions. The defence of Mackenzie Brown, Billy Jones, Hayden Cooper and Sam Glasgow was repeatedly tested.
The West Wyalong team pushed hard in the third term and looked threatening on several occasions but were repelled each time. One lapse in concentration allowed the Willyama team to kick deep into attack and with an undermanned defence, we could not stop the goal. Nick Wells, Charlie Tulloch, Jarred Adler and Frazer Holland worked hard to make the most of limited opportunities in the forward line.
Heading in to the final quarter behind by 16-3, we were still confident of rounding them up and taking the win. Again, the ball was stuck in our forward line and the best we could manage was a single point. Towards the end of the game Willyama was able to kick the final goal to seal their victory. Toby Rees, Kody Pilon, Joe Fixter, Luke Cameron and Max Noack all made important contributions throughout the game and worked hard until the final siren.
Willyama had a strong side with one player in the NSW 15's AFL team and one on the reserve list. They have since won through quite easily as Western Region Champions and they now progress to the top 16 in the State.