Match result: Port Melbourne 9.20.74 to Werribee 10..67
Venue: North Port Oval
Conditions: Dry for three quarters, but ground super soft under foot, very ordinary surface

Story of the game

Port Melbourne had the benefit of the breeze in the first term and certainly made the most of it, dominating the opening stages.

Thankfully for Werribee, Port Melbourne’s accuracy let them down, leaving Werribee still right in the game at the first break, only 11 points behind.

The second term saw Werribee make the most of the strong breeze, kicking four goals to Port Melbourne’s one.

Werribee continued to fight in the third term and despite a strong breeze, finished in front at the final break.

Ultimately, Port Melbourne was too strong; with Werribee down on rotations, the home side were able to finish on top, edging out the Tigers by just 7 points.

Kayne Turner’s return to competitive action was impressive, after a hamstring injury kept him sidelined in recent weeks.

The small-forward had a day out in the slippery conditions, and his defensive pressure was first class. Turner laid 15 tackles, evident from his mud-covered jumper towards the end of the game.

Injuries took their toll in the opening half, with AFL listed players in Majak Daw and Mitch Hibberd both unable to return.

The duo are expected to have scans on Monday, with further updates on NMFC.com.au this week.

What the coaches said

“It was a terrifically hard contest from both sides.

“We were quite pleased with what we saw from a lot of our players, without winning a game of footy, which is what we came here to do.

“We just failed to hit the scoreboard when we had our opportunities going forward. All-in-all, in the tough conditions we faced today, it was a pretty rounded effort.” - David Loader, NMFC Development Coach

By the numbers

Majak Daw (1 kick) – injured early in the first term
Will Fordham (7 kicks, 8 handballs, 4 marks, 4 tackles)
Mitch Hibberd (3 kicks) – injured in second quarter
Ben McKay (4 kicks, 3 handballs, 3 marks, 2 tackles)
Declan Mountford (8 kicks, 7 handballs, 6 tackles, 4 clearances)
Braydon Preuss (8 kicks, 3 handballs, 8 marks, 69 hit-outs)
Joel Tippett (9 kicks, 5 handballs, 4 marks, 5 rebound 50s)
Kayne Turner (8 kicks, 4 handballs, 15 tackles, 5 inside 50s)
Ed Vickers-Willis (11 kicks, 4 handballs, 5 tackles)

Best of the AFL

Kayne Turner – influential in his return
Braydon Preuss – dominated the ruck, with 69 hit-outs, gave his midfielders first use
Ed Vickers-Willis – patrolled the back-line and was important in setting up Werribee’s forays forward

Best of the VFL

Tom Gribble, Isaac Conway

Gribble and Conway had plenty of the ball, sharing 54 disposals between them. Conway booted a goal and was just as desperate without the ball, laying 14 tackles.

Points of interest

1. Injuries hurt (1)
Mitch Hibberd went down in the second term clutching his right knee. The youngster looked to be in a fair bit of pain, clutching at his right knee.

He left the field on a stretcher, with scans to determine the number 39’s immediate playing future. No doubt everyone will have their fingers’ crossed that the injury isn’t too serious.

2. Injuries hurt (2)
After being a late out in North’s recent hit-out against Adelaide, Majak Daw was due to play his first game in three weeks.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old landed awkwardly on teammate’s Braydon Preuss’ foot, rolling his ankle early in the first term. He left the field in the hands of the trainers, and took no further part in the match.

3. Turner returns
After hamstring woes kept the young gun sidelined, Turner made the most of his first taste of competitive action in several weeks.

Turner was a tackling machine, with 15 tackles in the muddy conditions. He kicked an important goal in the final term, and was among the best on ground for the day.

4. Poor conditions
The state of North Port Oval was not pretty. Days of rain in Melbourne meant the ground was extremely soft under foot, and the centre square was not so centre, after being shifted towards the boundary line to avoid a large mud pile in the middle of the ground.

The players ended the day caked in mud, and with rain falling in the final term, players found it difficult to keep their footing.

5. Ryan Clarke debuts
A notable absentee for Werribee was youngster Ryan Clarke, who had made the trip to Perth with North’s AFL team as an emergency.

Illness to Nick Dal Santo saw the youngster earn a last minute call up after his recent run of strong performances in the VFL.

Clarke joined Wagner in becoming North’s second debutant for the season – a reward for impressive Werribee efforts.