Nathalia’s second-half Purple patch sinks Barooga

Barooga held a narrow three-point lead at half time, but a second-half purple patch saw Nathalia run over the top to prevail 17.4 (106) to 11.7 (73).

Hawks coach Luke Jarjoura said his side simply ran out of gas after what had been a huge few weeks.

“We have been up for a long time and I have sensed a flat spot coming in our performance,” Jarjoura said.

“We have been up for a very long time playing finals-like games and I was hoping that it would hold off for another fortnight, but it came on Saturday and we hit a real flat spot after half time.

“We were comprehensively beaten around the contested footy, which is what we pride ourselves on. There were a couple of other other things that didn’t go our way. We got smashed in the free kick count, which didn’t help.

“We have been running over teams in the last quarter all year and we were very flat in that last quarter, it was very disappointing.”

Coming at the mid-point of the season, there was plenty riding on Saturday’s clash with both Barooga and Nathalia in the thick of the battle for finals football.

With a spot in the top six on the line, Nathalia led by six points after the first quarter before Barooga responded to be in front by three at half time.

But while the first half was a tight tussle, Nathalia was able to wrestle control of the contest following the main break.

The Purples booted nine goals to Barooga’s three in the second half, with their deadly accuracy — 17.4 — helping them earn a vital four points.

“Nathalia played a very uncompromising brand of football, which is what we pride ourselves on as well. It was a very dour contest in the first half,” Jarjoura said.

“After half time, they were more disciplined in the fact that they were lower and harder at the ball for longer than we were, which is probably a by-product of our wounded and tired bodies late in the game.

“It was a banana skin game for us, it has been coming.”

Jarjoura himself pulled on the boots for the second time this season, booting five goals for the Hawks. Lachlan Stephens was in good form up front as well with four majors on the day.

Jarjoura said he was willing to do whatever he could to help his team, including coming out of retirement on the odd occasion.

“I am employed by the club to win games of football and to develop these young kids that we have got and try and create a culture at the club that will attract players and create longevity and have sustained success.

“I am all about creating a winning culture and if I need to play football to help us win games of football, I will.

“If it means I have to pull the boots on occasionally when we are short, I will.”

Alongside Jarjoura and Stephens, Angus Cameron, Joel Brown, Callum Leighton-Daly and Riley Brooks were all named among the best — with the latter earning particular praise from the Barooga coach.

“Riley Brooks in the back pocket has been phenomenal for a decade and just plays above his height and his weight every week,” Jarjoura said.

“Nathalia were an extremely tall side so he was at times playing on blokes four, five, six inches taller than him.

“He punched above his weight all day and kept us in the contest across half back.”

Elsewhere in the MFL, a pair of stunning upsets have had a huge impact at the top of the ladder.

Numurkah erased a 23-point three-quarter time deficit to defeat Mulwala by a point, handing the Lions their first defeat of 2023.

Finley too caused a stir after also coming from behind to beat second-placed Congupna by three points.

Mulwala remains in first place on the ladder on 32 points, with Congupna and Numurkah (28 points) close behind.

Moama and Nathalia (24 points) sit in fourth and fifth, with Cobram, Finley and Barooga all level on 20 points.