Sport
10 May, 2022
Jono celebrates 150th with win over Colac
THE Simpson Tigers fought for a tough win battle against Colac, making a milestone 150th game for forward Jono Jennings all the more special.
THE Simpson Tigers fought for a tough win battle against Colac, making a milestone 150th game for forward Jono Jennings all the more special.
Nicholas Harding slotted home seven majors to keep Simpson among the league leaders as the Tigers marched home 9.13 (67) winners over Colac Imperials 8.12 (60).
The contest remained tight through until the final siren, with Simpson leading by a single point at quarter time and just three at the half.
The Tigers pulled away in the third before holding off Colac to keep pace among the top of the ladder.
Coach Daniel Beard said he was impressed with his side’s performance against the in-form Imperials.
“(Colac) beat Alvie the week before so they’ve been an in-form side which has played the top two sides the previous weeks,” he said.
“They pushed South Colac and beat Alvie, so we knew it was going to be a big ask in our progression and development as a young side.”
Beard said Nicholas Harding made a strong impression with his seven goal haul, as too did milestone man Jono Jennings.
“Having Nick Harding back in the side was massive for us,” he said.
“Having both him and Jono Jennings, who had been out for a few weeks, brought experience and quality to the forwards."
“It makes a huge difference to any side.”
The opportunity to celebrate the 150th performance on Jennings was a special moment for a player Beard said was the “heart and soul of Simpson”.
“He’s a great character who loves the Simpson footy club,” he said.
“To play 150 games is a big effort. He’s committed, and from the start of preseason has never missed training."
“To have him back is huge for us.”
Joining Harding among the best players was Brad Salmon, Brock Neal, Jason Mcvilly, Rhys Jansen Van Beek and Thomas Leishman.
This weekend Simpson senior footballers will hit the road for a clash with Alvie, with both teams seeking an opportunity to solidify themselves at the top of the table.
“Alvie is clearly one of the top two sides,” Beard said.
“They were probably the best side last year and have good players right across the park."
“It’s going to be a massive task for us to get over Alvie but the way our team is developing and starting to gel together puts us in a strong position."
“We’ve said quite a bit there are no great expectations, we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but at the same time you can’t put a ceiling on young locals and what they can achieve."
“We’ll go down there and give it a real crack.”