Luke Humphries’ six-goal bag helped Halls Head end their season on a high when they held off a Waroona outfit that came storming home to claim a one-goal win.
The Demons rampaged back into the frame threatening to overcome a 30-point three quarter time deficit with a six-goal last quarter, but majors to Humphries and Robert Falkstrom helped Halls Head maintain the lead for a 15.8 (98) to 14.8 (92) win at Waroona’s Parnell Street Oval.
Brayden Sutton impressed with a game-high seven goals for the Demons (ending his season with 31), and it was through his efforts that they managed to take the early lead.
The forward found two majors in the opening term with Mat Thomas and Mitchell Dawson also converting for the home side, seeing them out to a 13-point lead at the end of the first.
The Demons still managed to find three goals in the second (all coming through Sutton), but they lost the lead when Halls Head found another gear booting six of their own.
Humphries nailed two of them while Reece Dillon, Tyson Phillips, Ryan Storer and Mathew Allen chimed in as the Lightning took a seven-point lead into the half time break.
From there they assumed control of the match, nailing five goals to Waroona’s one in a third term that would go on the be the defining point of the game.
Dillon impressed mightily for the Lightning while Humphries jailed another two goals to give the guests a 30-point lead heading into the final term.
They looked to be sitting pretty with a 37-point lead when Humphries booted his sixth on the day in the final term, but the Demons refused to lie down meekly as a Zac Moody major sparked a run of five straight goals.
Josh Garavanta, Thomas, Sutton and Dawson followed suit to give Waroona some hope, but they fell agonisingly short of a win that would have saved them from finishing last on the ladder.
Humphries’ six goals sees him finish 2018 with a total of 42, while his Lightning end their campaign with seven wins next to their name, five better than their total of two last season.
The Demons end their year with the wooden spoon, ending a run of finals appearances that spanned across more than a decade.
Goals
Waroona
B. Sutton 7, M. Thomas 2, M. Dawson 2, Z. Moody, J. Garavanta , N. Chiera
Halls Head
L. Humphries 6, R. Storer 2, R. Falkstrom 2, A. Boone 2, T. Phillips, R. Dillon, M. Allen
Best
Waroona
B. Sutton, M. Dawson, S. Giumelli, K. Gavin, Z. Moody
Halls Head
R. Dillon, B. Constantine, M. Royal, L. Humphries, R. Patten-Williams, M. Beeton
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
