Bruthen scored a confidence-boosting 10-point win over Swifts Creek in round 12 of the Omeo District Football Netball League last Saturday at the Bruthen Recreation Reserve.
Neither side was at full strength, with the Demons likely to be bolstered by some key ins in the coming weeks.
The two sides are likely combatants in early August in the elimination final, so Bruthen would have been pleased to have won the fight, but the war is far from over.
Bruthen was out of the blocks early, possibly inspired by the pre-game smoking ceremony, kicking the first three goals as it controlled the early stoppages with Harley Kenner and Jan Cabaybay reading the ruck taps of Demons ruckman, Andrew Sandy, better than his teammates.
Jirra Moffat finished the match with eight goals, causing headaches on the fast lead and when the ball hit the ground anywhere inside the forward 50.
Matt Arnold started in the centre for the Bulldogs but he finished the game forward, restricted by a quad strain.
Swifts Creek finished the first quarter stronger as Beau Hack and coach Conor Harvey began to read Sandy’s booming punches forward better.
Jamie Barton (three) cashed in with a couple of early goals and looked dangerous before being blanketed by Jesse Gilham in the second half.
The tone was set early in the match and every time the ball went forward the Bulldogs looked dangerous as Moffatt, Jesse Gilham and Harley Kenner got dangerous.
Swifts Creek instead looked lost, despite Daniel O’Brien being promising early, before he had to be moved to the backline in an attempt to quell the rampaging Moffat.
Alastair Commins, playing his first game for the season, kicked two goals in his return, letting himself down in the conversion stakes on several occasions.
The Demons were missing several quality midfielders which required Harvey to play a permanent onball role, robbing the forward 50 of a key target all day.
Bruthen was again the quick starter in the second, opening a gap before the Demons hit back after a brain fade by Bulldog ruckman, Caleb Marsh, who was outpointed, but worked his way back into the game in the second half, finishing one of his side’s better players.
A late goal to Bruthen saw it lead by three points at the main break.
The game was up for grabs in the third term, an early goal by Harvey put his side in front, before the Bulldogs went to another gear, kicking seven unanswered goals to open up a 38-point advantage.
The delivery of Cabaybay, Gilham, Will Matthews and Luke Sutton to the grateful Moffatt in the third term was nothing short of sensational as he cashed in with four goals for the term.
A late goal to Swifts Creek saw it gain some momentum, but trailing by 33 points at the final change, it’s chances looked forlorn.
In a total reversal of the third quarter, it was the Demons who dominated the final term, having eight shots on goal, while the Bulldogs struggled to get the ball inside 50.
Beau Hack was in everything as he, Richard Crabtree and Harvey continually pumped the ball inside for the fast-finishing Swifts Creek.
The crowd came to its feet midway through the final term when Bulldog defender, Dylan Hack, clotheslined brother Beau, but he was quickly on his feet, kicking another behind.
The final term was like the previous three quarters for the Demons, a tale of squandered opportunities, as they sprayed the ball at shots at goal and struggled to find a target inside 25 metres.
The difference between the third and fourth quarters was the Demons took their excess tall timber off the ground and went with a small fast running outfit, learning that might be their ticket to conquer the fleet of foot Bulldogs next time around.
Moffatt was outstanding for the Bulldogs, clearly winning the NAIDOC medal, while other good players for his side were Marsh, Sutton, Kenner, Cabaybay and busy defenders Will Matthews and Rhys Kennedy.
Swifts Creek was well served by Crabtree, O’Brien, Beau Hack, James Turner and Tommy King, who even snuck forward and kicked a rare goal.
IMAGE: Swifts Creek coach Conor Harvey watches on as Richard Crabtree attempts to wrap up Bruthen’s Jan Cabaybay in a tackle during the Bulldogs’ hard-fought 10-point win at the Kennel.
