Sport
25 April, 2026
JUNIOR FOOTY: Cohesion builds in second half
Despite dominating territory early, the Saints were left to rue missed opportunities in the opening quarter.
EARLY inefficiencies were shaken off as St Arnaud under 17s claimed a solid 25-point victory over Donald.
Saturday’s match had ebbed and flowed before breaking open in the final term.
Despite dominating territory early, the Saints were left to rue missed opportunities in the opening quarter.
They controlled much of the play in their forward half, but a combination of inaccuracy and resolute Donald defence kept the scoreboard pressure low.
Both Hendy boys managed to hit the scoreboard in the first term, providing a bright spot in an otherwise wasteful start. Donald had their own chances late in the quarter to even things up but couldn’t capitalise, leaving the Saints with a narrow edge heading into the break.
The second quarter followed a similar script early, with the Saints again unable to convert dominance into scoreboard impact. Donald made them pay, striking first to level the scores and shift momentum. However, young gun Noah Hando steadied things for the Saints, slotting his first goal after several team missed chances. Donald continued to look dangerous when moving the ball forward, proving far more efficient with limited opportunities.
After halftime, the Saints began to find more cohesion. Five minutes into the third term, Noah Hando added his second, finishing off a slick passage of play that transitioned cleanly from the back line. Charlie Baldwin joined the action with a crucial goal, helping the Saints build a buffer.
The final quarter started as a tight, contested affair with limited scoring chances for both sides. That changed when Charlie Baldwin took a strong mark in the goal square and converting truly. He quickly followed it up with another, bringing his tally to three for the day and Declan Kaye put the result beyond doubt with a goal just before the final siren.
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