PORT Fairy’s quest for a drought-breaking flag is back on track after responding strongly to last week’s loss with a thumping win over Terang Mortlake on Saturday.
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The team that was humbled by Koroit last week was nowhere to be seen as the Seagulls made an example of the Bloods – the team which handed Port Fairy its only other loss earlier in the season – winning 19.11 (127) to 8.6 (54) at Gardens Oval.
Seagulls coach Brett Evans said it was a “great turnaround” for his team.
“You’ve got to turn those negatives into positives and I think we were able to do that,” he said.
“We played a lot better team-brand of footy today and it was for four quarters.
“It was a really good start going against the breeze and we were able to maintain that for four quarters by bringing each other into the game.
“To play our brand, it was really good. Five rounds to go, we should be able to do it each week now.
“That selfish play is out.”
In what started out as a well-contested game, Port Fairy debutant Josh Mawson showed he could be a valuable asset for the Seagulls going forward, booting three first quarter goals.
He finished with four for the afternoon and was named in the Seagulls’ best.
“He is a very talented young kid,” Evans said.
“We knew he would be able to get in, it was just a matter of him getting his opportunity to play. He did a great job and proved he’s definitely up to it.”
It was a tight tussle early and, while plenty of the play was down Port Fairy’s end, the Bloods’ defenders stood up time and time again, led by Joel Crawley.
After Mawson kicked the opening goal, the Bloods got the next two, before Jack Hollmer and Mawson again restored the Seagulls’ lead.
By quarter-time, they’d moved to a 16-point advantage.
The home team lifted a gear in the second quarter, booting six goals to one. The Bloods won the third term by a goal, but another six-goal effort from Port Fairy in the final term blew the final margin out to 73 points.
Terang Mortlake coach Michael Sargeant said the Seagulls had shown the Bloods the level they needed to strive towards.
“We were just so fumbly and to their (Port Fairy’s) credit … they really pressured us and we just didn’t stand up to it,” he said. “I think they just won more one-on-ones than us across the ground and when we did get it, we just turned the ball over.”