Interleague Review – 2017
From the Border Mail
CLASSY Hume forward Myles Aalbers kicked a career-best nine goals to sink Tallangatta and District by 70 points in their interleague clash at Sandy Creek on Saturday.
In his first representative match at senior level, Aalbers was unstoppable at centre half-forward as the competition made amends for its 97-point drubbing in 2013.
After a tight opening quarter, Hume broke the match open with six goals to two in the second term with Aalbers having five of his own by the long break.
“I was always going to play if I was fit and I’ve had a fantastic week,” Aalbers said.
“They are a great bunch of blokes and ‘Piltzy’ (Brent Piltz) has been terrific.
Aalbers’ previous best haul was eight against Holbrook earlier this season while he booted six in arguably the best game of his career playing for Lavington against Albury at the Albury Sportsground in 2011.
Tallangatta tried several players in a bid to stop Aalbers but it was mission impossible as Hume midfielders Marty Bahr, Tim Brook, Jordan Harrington, Josh Jones, Daniel Middleton and Ryan Speed attacked in waves.
Howlong youngster Ben Baker kicked the opening goal of the match and continually got under the host league’s guard up forward with his creativity.
Skipper Josh Gaynor led a tight defence with Brian Lieschke holding Trent Castles to three goals and Duncan McMaster keeping Guy Telford to two.
Castles narrowly missed several shots on goal and could easily have walked away from the match with a six-goal bag.
In a worry for Kiewa-Sandy Creek, Telford limped off the ground in the final quarter with an ankle injury.
Tallangatta’s Lee Dale and Jacob Barber worked hard in the midfield but sheer weight of numbers wore them down.
Coach Ryan Richardson said it was a disappointing performance.
“Hume were too quick and too good,” Richardson said.
“We were caught out with their run from the start of the game and that showed.
“Myles Aalbers was everywhere and he got some silver service from their midfield all game.
“Full credit to them, they were really good.”
After being embarrassed in 2013, Hume has bounced back to beat the Riverina and Tallangatta and District leagues in the past two seasons.
Hume won the under-18s by 94 points with Andrew Phibbs best-on-ground and Tallangatta and District took out the under-15s by 51 points.
League officials were delighted with the crowd with about $5000 being taken at the gate.
HUME coach Brent Piltz believes the league can remain a force in interleague football after claiming another big scalp.
Following up last year’s win over Riverina, Piltz’s side ran its opponents off their legs to shock the big crowd.
“The boys were super,” Piltz said.
“We pretty much gave them a free licence and they gelled together well.
“Hume’s always been a good comp and we have shown that over the last two years with a couple of great wins.
Piltz singled out Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock’s Lachie Boyd for special praise after the match for running the water after he was named emergency.
“That’s the type of spirit you want in a group,” he said.
“It was fantastic.”
Long-time Hume league president Merv Wegener rated Myles Aalbers’ nine-goal effort as one of the best individual displays he has seen in interleague football.
