Inverleigh has won its first game of the season in dramatic circumstances after Bannockburn’s Rob Maibaum missed a shot after the siren to win the match.
Maibaum marked about 40m out from goal on a tight angle just seconds before the siren sounded at Victoria Park.
However, he pushed his shot across the face and through for a behind, handing the Hawks a three-point victory, 9.5 (59) to 7.14 (56).
For Inverleigh coach Chris Moore, victory was sweet relief after single-figure losses in the opening two rounds to Winchelsea and North Geelong.
“Probably the first two games that we played could have gone either way, and they didn’t,” Moore said.
“It would have been really gut-wrenching for three in a row to be like that.
“I’m proud of what they did.
“We played contested footy a lot better than we had in the first two rounds, and we stood up in most areas, which was great.
“Our first two games, there were some areas that were letting us down, but today it was probably the best we’ve played.”
GDFNL – SCOREBOARD – ANZAC DAY
Inverleigh trailed by four points at quarter-time but used a five-goal-to-one second term to open up a 22-point advantage at the main break.
However, the Tigers fought back to cut the margin to five points at three-quarter time.
In a tight and tough final term, each team managed just one goal apiece.
Off-season acquisition Boe Collins was awarded the Anzac Medal, but Moore said several Hawks could have won the honour.
“It was hard to pick our best players,” he said.
“Boe won the Anzac medal, but we thought that Dan Grozdanovski, Josh Viney and Luke Wilson were probably in our top four as well.”
Mason Dickson and Casey Meehan each kicked two goals for Inverleigh, while Maibaum and Brodie Harding managed two apiece for the inaccurate Tigers.
Youngster Austin Mahoney and experienced Connor Jervies were named Bannockburn’s best.
North Shore recruit Aaron Seller is expected to come under scrutiny from AFL Barwon’s Match Review Panel for a final-quarter bump on young Hawk Jaiden Reid that earned him a yellow card.
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