Four late goals, including one to 100-gamer Ned Harris to put his team in front, has helped Newtown & Chilwell overcome an inaccurate Grovedale by seven points at Elderslie Reserve.
After finding themselves under the microscope following an embarrassing 10-point loss to St Albans, the Eagles picked themselves up off the canvas to overcome an 11-point deficit at the 21-minute mark to win, 14.5 (89) to 11.16 (82).
“It was a pretty tough week last week, and it wasn’t how we wanted to perform as a group,” Harris, acting captain in the absence of Matt McMahon and Luke Maddock, told krockfootball.live.
“It took a bit to bounce back, and I thought the group was really good during the week.
“We were really positive; we didn’t shy away from what we needed to work on, and we were really honest during the week, too, which was great.
“But, I think that showed today. We made some changes, and Grovey were really, really good – strong fight all day.
“I think it was a real credit to us to be able to fight through that and get a really good result at the end.”
GFNL: SCOREBOARD – ROUND 15 (Part 1)
Adding a further degree of difficulty for Newtown & Chilwell was the absence of big man Cam Wilkinson after half-time.
No.1 in the GFNL for hitouts, he landed awkwardly on his coccyx in the second quarter, leaving the undersized Connor Fopiani to battle Tigers star Ryan Abbott.
“He was massive,” Harris said. “I mentioned our values before, and he lives and breathes all of them.
“Every single day, he’s up here (at the club).
“He’s had a really tough time of late, and to be able to compete the way that he did, was inspirational for the rest of the group, I thought.”
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Grovedale coach Jacob Spolding was left to rue his team’s inaccuracy in front of goal.
From 17 inside 50 entries in the second quarter, the Tigers kicked 4.9.
“It was a game we obviously let slip,” he said. “I think it was 27 or 28 shots (at goal) to 18 or 19.
“We had the opportunity to put the game away in the second quarter, (but) didn’t take our chances, kept Newtown in the game, and they were good enough to take theirs later in the day, and we go down.”
The Tigers had injury issues of their own, including another concussion to hard-as-nails midfielder Will Jeffery.
He will enter the 21-day protocol, which rules him out until the final-round clash with North Shore.
In the absence of Maddock, Liam Fiore was the most prolific forward for Newtown & Chilwell with a five-goal effort.
At the other end, Grovedale spearhead Tom Gillett finished with four goals, while Mitch Chafer kicked three to further enhance his chances of a callup to Werribee’s VFL team.
X: @krockfootball
