The 2021 Mininera and District Football League season has been a competitive one, but round 10 was a week of emphatic wins and harrowing defeats.
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In all of the six matches, the margin between the teams was 50 points or more.
The Ararat Eagles earned its fourth win of the season, defeating bottom-placed Caramut 30.19 (199) to 4.7 (31) at Alexandra Oval.
Caramut started the match quite positively and looked capable of challenging the Eagles.
At the end of the first quarter, Caramut trailed Ararat 5.5 (35) to 3.4 (22).
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However, the Eagles would kick seven more goals in the next quarter while Caramut only added a single point to its score.
The Eagles were ruthless in the third quarter, kicking a further 11 goals and consigning Caramut to another sizeable defeat.
Yet the most significant margin of victory came at Woorndoo, where Woorndoo Mortlake defeated Wickliffe Lake Bolac 32.19 (211) to 3.5 (23).
Unlike the match at Alexandra Oval, there was never any doubt about the result at Woorndoo Recreation Reserve, as the Tigers led 11.4 (70) to 1.0 (6) after the first quarter.
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The match represents the clubs' shifting fortunes, as only three years ago Wickliffe Lake Bolac were Premiers, and Woorndoo Mortlake finished eighth.
Woorndoo Mortlake remains on top of the ladder, but Tatyoon ensured this was only by percentage rather than points, as they defeated Hawkesdale Macarthur 18.10 (118) to 8.7 (55).
Hawkesdale Macarthur managed to match Tatyoon at times, even taking a seven-point lead into the second quarter.
Yet Tatyoon showed considerable depth in their squad, with Steven Nicholson, Ben Clay, Riley Wood, Tyler Cronin, Joshua Brown, and Ryan Bates all kicking multiple goals. Cronin was also named Tatyoon's best on the field.
Great Western was similarly dominant against Moyston Willaura, winning 20.18 (138) to 5.10 (40).
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For much of the game, both teams were slightly wasteful in front of goal. But in the final quarter, Great Western kicked 7.1 (43) to widen the gulf.
Great Western's Damon Folkes also kicked six goals to take his season tally to 45. Woorndoo Mortlake's Grant Cameron is his nearest rival with 42 goals this season.
Elsewhere, Lismore Derrinallum defeated SMW Rovers 15.8 (98) to 6.10 (46).
Lismore Derrinallum had a 31 point lead after the first quarter and were not troubled from thereon, partially due to the contrast in the teams' proficiency in front of goal.
Lismore Derrinallum's Riley Browne had kicked 12 goals against Caramut in round nine and continued his form by kicking a further eight.
Glenthompson Dunkeld also comfortably defeated Penshurst 14.10 (94) to 5.9 (39) to maintain third place.
Round 11 is likely to contain some closer contests.
It contains arguably the most crucial match of the season so far, as Tatyoon and Woorndoo Mortlake face each other for the first time, with both teams heading into the game unbeaten.
Fourth-placed Great Western will also face fifth-placed Lismore Derrinallum in a similarly crucial encounter.
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