Swifts Creek has kept the top four in reach with an emphatic 101-point victory at home against Lindenow South in round eight Omeo and District Football Netball League.
The Demons sit in fifth place, still four points below Buchan, after the Cavemen caused an upset of sorts at home, beating the once premiership favourite, Bruthen narrowly.
Swifts Creek brought a couple of youngsters who have shown potential at junior level in other local competitions into their side, Damon Scott and Cohen Jackson both prominent for the Demons.
The Swampies are an improving outfit, a real work in progress and they would have impressed coach Sam Howden how they took the match right up to last year’s grand finalist in the opening term.
Swifts Creek’s led at quarter time by just four points, but some errant kicking in front of goal probably did flatter that margin.
The Demons turned the heat up in the second term, with Andrew Sandy dominant in the ruck, making life easy for the Brodies – Cameron and Matthews – skipper Beau Hack and good ball users like Jay Robbie.
Seven unanswered goals in the second term quickly put the result to bed, the Demons ramming home the advantage in the second half kicking 10 goals to two, their experience and grunt proving too much for the undermanned Swampies.
Emerging forward Jack Reid kicked four goals for the Demons, while skipper Conor Harvey, Sandy, Matthews and Cameron all slotted two each.
Among the better four-quarter performers were Matthews, Cameron, Robbie, Sandy, Scott, and Jack Mitchell.
Young veterans Aaron Edwards and Shane Thorpe, Nick O’Keefe, Jack Heard and Alfred Solomon all battled hard for Lindenow South, who appear no closer to their first win of the season than they did in round one.
Lindenow South will host Buchan this week, while the Demons will welcome Swan Reach up the mountain in what appears an interesting match up.
The Swans might not enjoy the physicality of the Swifts Creek game plan, with the crash and bash style likely to cause some angst, which will be dictated by scoreboard pressure.
