Match: North Ballarat v Werribee
Result: North Ballarat 12.12.84 defeated by Werribee 15.16.106
Venue: Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee
Weather: Strong wind favouring one end, mild conditions

In action

Trent Dumont (27 disposals, 7 marks, 7 clearances, 7 tackles)
Brad McKenzie (28 disposals, 5 marks, 6 clearances, 8 inside 50’s, 6 tackles)
Aaron Mullett (16 disposals, 4 tackles)
Eric Wallace (8 disposals, 40 hit-outs, 6 tackles)
Max Warren (18 disposals, 5 one percenters, 3 spoils)
Mitch Wilkins (5 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 goals)

Matchups

- Brad McKenzie v Kieran Harper
- Eric Wallace v Josh Porter/Dylan Jones/Majak Daw
- Aaron Mullett v Jye Bolton
- Mitch Wilkins v Taylor Hine

Story of the game

The sides were greeted with a strong wind favouring one end at Avalon Airport Oval in Werribee. North Ballarat was able to gain first use of the breeze and took advantage, kicking four goals to one and leading by 19 points at the first break.

However it quickly became evident the Roosters had not done enough. Werribee broke the game wide open in the second quarter, kicking seven goals to two. It reversed the 19 point deficit and turned it into a 17 point half time lead.

There were just three goals against the breeze in the first half. In the third quarter North Ballarat only conceded two points, again taking the lead. Five unanswered goals meant the Roosters led by 16 points with a quarter to play but the question was, 'How well would Werribee finish with the wind?'.

The answer was delivered in quick time. The Tigers put together their second seven-goal quarter of the afternoon. With the Roosters only managing one major of their own, the home side eventually ran out comfortable 22-point victors.

What the coach said

Quarter Time

“We know now they’re going to look to get it forward to Maj (Majak Daw) as quickly as possible. When we have the ball the best avenue for a goal is through the corridor.”

Three Quarter Time

“For our ball movement, run and carry. Make sure it’s considered, short kicks and hit up each other with a heap of marks.”

North Ballarat senior coach Gerard FitzGerald

Points of interest

1. Aaron Mullett played his first game at VFL level since 2012. While he wasn’t a standout performer, that wasn’t the aim for the left-footer.

“He came back with the focus to just have a solid game, not necessarily to be the best player on the ground or to get a certain amount of possessions.

“He played mainly on a wing and worked his way into the game as it went on. He was hard at the footy and his attitude was absolutely terrific.” – Gavin Brown

2. Trent Dumont bounced back from a quiet game last week to finish with 27 disposals. The first year midfielder filled up the stats sheet, also collecting seven marks, seven clearances and seven tackles.

“You could see he was pretty keen to make amends for last week. It was pleasing to see that and it was a really solid performance across the board today.

“He marked the ball well today. He had three really strong contested marks and he showed a bit up forward when he spent a little bit of time there.” – Gavin Brown

3. Brad McKenzie defied the windy conditions to use the ball almost to perfection during the afternoon. His 15 kicks went at 93 per cent efficiency, playing largely in a different role to normal.

“He played mostly in the middle which was our plan. He had plenty of the footy and it worked out pretty well considering he wasn’t familiar with a lot of the structures in there.

“It’s something different for him and I thought he did pretty well. Taking the conditions into account he did well and was a quick learner.” – Gavin Brown

4. After being an important cog in the Roosters’ defence all season, Max Warren was faced with a different situation on Saturday, returning after playing an AFL game.

“He came back (from AFL level) with a lot of confidence knowing he’s played a game of senior football. It showed today because he was very confident and sure of himself.

“He didn’t make too many mistakes at all, which is what we want. He took the game on when he had to and he worked really hard.” – Gavin Brown

Most likely call-up: Brad McKenzie
Next week: Northern Blues – Eureka Stadium – Sunday – 2:00pm