Mid Gippy football Rd 1
by Mitchell Berechree
Any doubts anyone had it was footy season were surely dispelled the instant the curtains were opened Saturday morning. Rain, wind, clouds and the anticipation of getting a kick greeted us all regardless of where we call home across Gippsland. And if you were at Foster on Saturday afternoon for the Grand Final replay as I was you were even treated to the odd burst of sunshine amongst the downpours and gusts of wind that might well have blown a dog off a chain.
Foster v Fish Creek
Foster 8.9 57 Fish Creek 4.11 35
Foster Best: Tom Schneider, Bailey Angwin, Lachlan Rathjen, Liam Bentley, Tom Littore, Shaun Chaseling
Fish Creek Best: Brady Mitchell, Luke Williams, Jackson Weidemann, Mitch Hicks, Kairon Dorling, Rhett Weidemann
But before the season could commence a quick glimpse in the rear-view mirror, to the most recent game played in the MGFNL was in order. And as they say to the victors go the spoils and so it was that Foster had the opportunity to unfurl the premiership pennant they won in season 2025, before setting about winning another for season 2026.
Both sides, Fish Creek last years vanquished, and Foster the home team had a handful of recruits to welcome to their clubs and what a welcome it was. The first quarter was a cracker for the home side. Aided by kicking to the scoring end they piled on five majors to a solitary Fish Creek goal by the time we took a pause for quarter time.
Whilst the two glamour forwards for Foster, coach Jake Best and Brett Eddy (who just happen have over two thousand career goals between them) were the centre of attention it was the less heralded Shaun Chaseling who did the damage with a pair of goals in the first term. Some crafty small forward work saw him bob up in the right spot at the right time and unlike many who tried through out the course of the day he was able to capitalise by finding the big sticks.
The midfield battle was worth the price of entry alone with Mitch Allot, as per usual, doing his thing for the Tigers up against soon to be cult hero Will McTaggart in the ruck. The two man-mountains battled it out nearly all day with declaring a winner being unfair on one over the other.
At ground level Jackson and Rhett Weidemann were joined by Luke Williams for Fish Creek and made every contest a hard fought one. Williams ran in straight lines all day while both Jack and Rhett did their thing inside and outside of the stoppages with both using their penetrating left feet to great effect.
Foster had Tom Schnieder join league medal winner Angus Norton in the middle with Bailey Angwin amongst a crew of others who ran through the Tiger midfield over the course of the day. A second quarter injury to Dylan Williams left them short a rotation but they kept on keeping on as they do.
Fish Creek settled after the first break but couldn’t convert their ascendency around the ground to the score board. As Fish Creek coach Jarrod Walker noted “not only did Foster take full advantage of the wind in the first stanza but they defended really well in the second quarter” holding his side to a solitary major in what was becoming a hard fought battle. Each and every tackle, each bump and every marking contest seemed to contain a little bit extra as the second term played out. All of which would have made the sanctuary of the change rooms rather appealing. That and the sleeting rain and 50 knot winds that hit their peak just as the hooter sounded……
After the break the arm wrestle predicted by Foster coach Jake Best the day before continued with his counterpart Jarrod Walker sliding some magnets around to try and work his way back into the match. A fine balancing act it was too that Walker faced as coughing up a few goals in pursuit of the several his side needed would have left Fish Creek too far from Foster despite having the scoring end in the last term.
With McTaggart going forward, Brody Mitchell and Rhett Wiedemann tag teamed in the ruck and provided more than enough chances for their side to score into the breeze. Alas their four scoring shots amounted to only a single major which was off set by a goal to Foster.
Walker noted the continuing wind and rain after the main break made it hard for his team to claw back the scoreboard deficit but felt his side “had a small pulse” coming into the last where they would be kicking to the scoring end.
While enjoying the majority of play in the front half Walker again acknowledged Foster’s ability to defend for large periods. Fishy were able to get within 11 points during the last quarte but late goals to Best and Angwin sealed the deal and Foster were deserved winners. In having said that the twenty-two point margin in a low scoring clash probably doesn’t reflect how close the game actually was.
Post game Walker said “it was good to see the majority of our new players feature amongst the best” and with Foster too welcoming in both a new coach and several recruits you suspect both sides will improve after the hit out, which really is worrying news for the rest of the competition.
For what it’s worth I found a spot in the best for Foster’s Angus Norton even though he wasn’t referenced as such by his club but I’d also struggle to say who on the official list he could have replaced.
But as winning coach Jake Best said in the post-game it was simply “a good, hard-fought win in really wet and windy conditions.”
And in a game where you play for team success who really cares who is in the best when you get the win, especially when it is against your nearest and fiercest rival.
Mirboo North v Toora
AFTER coming so close to a finals berth last year Mirboo North hit the ground running for season 2026 with a comprehensive win over Toora. Undoubtedly happy with the ten goal plus win Mirboo North coach Damo Turner was equally impressed with his sides defence as attack. Restricting any opposition to just two goals speaks volumes for the defensive system and mind set his troops applied.
Goals were spread among a trio of forwards for Mirboo North with new-comers Hayden Potts and Thomas Campbell slotting three each along with skipper and best on ground Hudson Kerr. Turner noted it was “a fantastic start to the season” while giving credit to Toora for “making us earn every contest in the windy and wet conditions.”
He was particularly enthused with his sides ability to “work hard, deep into the quarters and trust the set-ups and structures put in place across the pre-season”. He went on to praise his younger players and new recruits highlighting the “hunger” they showed as a group.
For Toora it was a goal apiece to Pintus and Grift with Jordan French and Lachi Smart their best duo. Coach Jake Smart noting Lachi “worked hard all day” along with Nathan Nicholson who did some good things down back. While conceding Mirboo North out-performed his side on the day Smart felt the scoreboard was not necessarily reflective of where his side is at as a football club noting “improvement is expected” in coming weeks.
