The forgotten team of West Gippsland football is fighting tooth and nail to keep its season alive after Inverloch-Kongwak ground out an 11-point victory over Kooweerup on Saturday.
The 2023 champions had to stave off a desperate Kooweerup comeback in a third-quarter that will forever be remembered as the period of the match when Will Farrer took ‘that mark’…a spectacular grab that brought the small crowd at Denhams Road to its feet.
The Sea Eagles responded after the three-quarter-time break, kicking two goals to one in the final term to score an important 8.11(59) to 7.6(48) victory given the context of their season.
Inverloch won its first contest of the year against Korumburra-Bena, but then lost five-consecutive battles against Cora Lynn, Kilcunda-Bass, Tooradin-Dalmore, Nar Nar Goon and Phillip Island to have people questioning where they sat in the pecking order.
But recent wins against Warragul Industrials, Dalyston and Kooweerup have the Sea Eagles knocking on the door of the top six with just one game remaining before their second bye for the season.
It’s been an impressive fightback from a club that simply loves winning.
“No-one likes making excuses but the fact is we’ve been smashed with injuries in the early part of the season, I think we used 38 players through our first six games,” Sea Eagles coach Leigh Cole explained.
“We haven’t had a lot of continuity in our side and we’ve lost a fair bit of top-end talent as well, and we’re still a very inexperienced side.
“Over the last few weeks we’ve had 13 or 14 players that are 22 or under, which is a big change from our premiership year when we had three that were 23 or under and 10 players over 30.
“We’ve definitely gone through a fair bit of change in our side, but we’re starting to grow some confidence within the group and they’re starting to understand what’s required to play senior footy.
“The group is coming along pretty quick.”
The Sea Eagles have been hammered in regards to the quality of player that is currently sitting on the sidelines.
Star midfielder Paul Pattison has not played a game since round one, with groin and quad injuries reducing his impact to just one quarter of football this season.
Pattison is due back in three weeks – after the Sea Eagles travel to Garfield and then sit idle with the bye – with Oscar Toussaint (hamstring), Dylan Clark (hamstring) and Toby Mahoney (ruptured testicle) expected to join him in the starting line-up.
Tate Short will return a little bit later from a hamstring, while the rugged Xavier Hughes also returned for his first senior game for the season against the Demons after facing shoulder surgery in the pre-season.
On the flip side, the season of Lachie Scott is over after a recent ACL tear.
Given the talent not playing, Cole has been impressed with his team’s competitiveness…even amongst that aforementioned five-game losing streak.
“That’s part of our development; even through that patch of five games that we lost, we were three points down against Killy Bass and Tooradin at three-quarter time and we were two points up on Nar Nar Goon at the final break,” he said.
“It’s just been that one quarter of footy that has killed us.
“The difference in our win against the Dusties was that they had their 15 or 20 minute patch, but we were able to arrest momentum during the third quarter and work our way back into it.
“It was a good position to be in; doing the chasing instead of being a sitting duck.
“The Koowee win on the weekend was a tight tussle all day; they got back into it in the third quarter and there was no more than 14 points in it all day.
“It could have gone either way, but it was nice to get a win and give us some hope moving forward.”
The Sea Eagles led by 14 points at the main break but a goal to Nathan Muratore and two clever six-pointers to Seth O’Hehir gave the home side a five-point lead.
The Sea Eagles responded with a quality finish to Jasper Kempster, setting up a three-point lead at the final change.
Muratore put Kooweerup in front with the opening goal of the final term, but replies from Nick Baltas and talented tall Jo Nowell gave the visitors their third win in three starts.
Baltas was best-on for the winners, despite being forced to play in unfamiliar territory on the ground.
“He’s predominantly played as a small forward for us over the last couple of years, but given our midfield holes and lacking a bit of experience, he’s had to step up and play a bit more on ball over the last couple of months,” Cole said.
And Nowell continues to impress after almost single-handedly winning the game against the Dusties two starts back.
“It’s pretty hard to stop a 200cm guy whose jumping at the footy with a good set of hands…he’s been a great addition to the club this season.”
Baltas was joined by Lucas Allen, Kempster, Nowell, Jayden Sullivan and Ethan Park on the Sea Eagles’ best players list, while two goals each to Baltas and Jack Ginnane provided the key pillars for victory.
Muratore, O’Hehir and Matt Voss slotted two each for the vanquished, with Mitch Cammarano, Fletcher McMillan, Mitchell Bidmade and Trav Bindley being serviceable contributors around the ground.
Kooweerup stay at home and host Warragul Industrials this week, while Cole and his Sea eagles head to Garfield as they look to even up the ledger on their season.
“If we can go into the bye at 5-5, we sort of feel like we would have recovered our season a little bit and with the potential to get back some players after the break,” Cole said excitedly.
“The injuries have tested our depth this season, but we’ve had to be flexible and throw players into roles that they’re not usually accustomed to; we hope that will hold us in good stead moving forward.”
