HAMPDEN’S journey to becoming a country football powerhouse was derailed at Reid Oval on Saturday.
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It was a familiar opponent who gave the stoic Bottle Greens a reality check with the visiting Ovens and Murray team winning 20.14. (134) to 9.14. (68).
It was the third time in five years Ovens and Murray has dismantled Hampden.
In 2012, Ovens and Murray defeated Hampden by 48 points and in 2014 that margin blew out to 125.
Hopes were high Hampden could turn those results around in its home territory with a bright start from the Bottle Greens adding fuel to that fire.
Kicking with the aid of a strong breeze to the city end, Hampden kicked five first-quarter goals to lead by nine points at the break.
But a classy Ovens and Murray midfield began to take control, feeding a dangerous forward line that was hungry to use the wind to its advantage.
By half-time, Ovens and Murray had got hold of an 18-point lead and the game looked out of Hampden’s reach. Hampden needed a huge third quarter but instead were outscored four goals to two.
The last quarter was about limiting the damage, a tough task as the game opened up and Ovens and Murray found space which allowed a seven goal to one finish to seal an impressive victory.
Hampden coach Chris McLaren echoed the thoughts of many when he said the margin was unkind to his team.
“I was really happy with our efforts in the contested footy,” McLaren said.
“Going into the game I was a bit worried about our body size, we were a fair bit smaller than them. In the end they wore us down and fatigue kicked in but it didn’t feel like a 10-goal plus loss.”
A positive to come from the day for Hampden was the performances of the teenagers in the team. South Warrnambool’s Paddy Anderson was the Bottle Greens leading goalkicker with three, Portland’s Jamaine Jones won the Richard Nixon Medal for Hampden’s best player while Campderown’s Cedric Cox and Warrnambool’s Luke McLeod also acquitted themselves well.
With the next generation emerging, McLaren said Hampden needs to make clear its vision for its interleague future.
“I think its time for us to work out where interleague is in the pecking order for us,” McLaren said.
“If it is a priority then we need to find a way to make sure our best players want to play. We saw today with Ovens and Murray, it is almost semi-professional football they play. I’m sure they don’t just rock up to training on a Tuesday and Thursday and that’s it. So if we are to compete at interleague level with teams like that then we have to be fully committed to it to give ourselves a chance.”
