Omeo Benambra outclassed Bruthen for the third time this season last Saturday, winning its round 14 Omeo District Football Netball League match by 55 points at the Bruthen Recreation Reserve.
With one round to play the Alpine Ranges sit two games ahead on top of the ladder, clearly the side to beat in August finals action.
Despite impressing against the lesser quality teams, the Bulldogs, who will finish third, are yet to make any impression against the top two sides, Omeo Benambra and Lindenow South.
The match started with both teams employing makeshift ruckmen with the absences of both their big men.
Joshua Jeffs was entrusted with the job for the Ranges, while Mitch Clague had the duties for the Dogs.
Bruthen flew out of the blocks with the first major, key playmaker Harley Kenner (two goals) leading the charge with several clearances.
The Bulldogs were up and about and through the hard work of Kenner, Clague, Jan Cabaybay and Darcy Spong who were all putting the Ranges’ defence on the backfoot.
Not to be outdone, the ever-reliable Chris Wheeler was thwarting many forays forward, owning the skies inside his defensive 50 with some telling intercept marks.
Ranges coach Josh Piper and key playmaker Ross Ansaldi started to get going in the middle and with the assistance of a classy half back line that included returning Riley Steenholdt, Todd Redenbach and Brent Hartnell, Omeo Benambra’s trips inside 50 began to add up.
Their dangerous forward line, led by the competition’s leading goalkicker Harry Warfe (four), along with Daniel Jones (three), Aidan Hayward (two) and Rohan Smith, kicked four goals in the opening term to open up a 16-point advantage by quarter time.
Wayward kicking by Warfe left a flattering scoreline for the Bulldogs.
The second quarter was played much like the second half of the first where the Ranges’ backline provided attacking opportunities time and time again.
Piper was acting as the middle man for all the attacks, the Ranges’ forward line licking their lips at the quality of delivery coming in.
Unfortunately Warfe must have put the wrong boots on as he was kicking behind after behind and struggling to put one through the big sticks.
It was an unenviable task to be in the Bruthen backline, however veteran Rhys Kennedy and Zac Svetlik were providing as much resistance as they could muster. Up the other end Tom Cook was holding the Dogs’ in-form spearhead Jirra Moffat (two) well in check, and this was making scoring difficult for the Bulldogs.
The Alpine Ranges extended their lead to 31 points by the main break.
Bruthen came out in spirited fashion in the second half, kicking the first two goals of the quarter, giving the supporters at the Kennel something to get excited about, however this was short-lived.
With Piper and Ansaldi continuing to link up with their half backs, they continued to lay the Sherrin on a platter for their forwards.
Omeo Benambra kicked the next five goals to effectively put the game out of the reach of Bruthen, with Warfe starting to find his rhythm.
The last quarter petered out into a scrappy battle played between the half back lines, with Omeo kicking two goals to one to again win the quarter.
Both half back lines were outstanding for the day and the Dogs were best served by the hard-working Kennedy, and the big-punching Svetlik, Will Matthews, as well on ballers in Kenner and Cabaybay.
While for the Ranges Piper and Ansaldi had their hands in everything going forward, which was started by the likes of Redenbach, Stennholdt, Hartnell and Wheeler across the half back line.
