AFTER going down to a post-siren goal against Greta last week, Milawa had one thing on its mind on Saturday getting back on the winners' list.
But that was no mean feat, given the Demons were travelling to Whitfield to take on a King Valley side smarting from its own missed opportunity in round four, when it outplayed Whorouly for the best part of three quarters only to be beaten by 25 points.
This was a test of two sides looking to establish themselves in a stacked top four, and in the end it was the Demons who played better for longer, winning by 16 points.
Milawa looked to have broken the game open during the second quarter, building a 17-point buffer by the long break after kicking five goals to King Valley's two for the period.
But the Roos hit back hard in the third, taking a handy lead of their own before the Demons rallied late to wrest back the momentum, but not quite the lead, King Valley two points ahead at the final change.
Milawa finished strong, with the likes of Ben Clarke, Jeff Whitehead, Mark Scholte and Ryan Hussey pivotal during a fourth quarter surge that saw the Demons add another five goals to two to seal the match.
Coach Luke Sims said it was a crucial win given the circumstances.
"King Valley at King Valley is like an eight point game, especially this year," Sims said.
"We needed to bounce back after last week, and this was a huge challenge for us.
"You get a lot out of playing the better sides more often, and we can take a lot of confidence out of the fact we lifted in the last quarter when we needed to.
"We had a few players who were down, and I asked them for a lift.
"Ray Ussher went into the midfield and played really well, Ben Clarke turned it on and Jeff Whitehead was terrific in the ruck."
Clarke was named best on ground for his efforts in the middle, while Sims was rapt with Ryan Hussey's job on King Valley star Adam Williams.
"Ben (Clarke) played half back last year in a bit of a development role," he said.
"But he has got an opportunity in the midfield this year, and he has been winning a lot of contested possessions.
"Against a side like King Valley, on their home ground, that was instrumental.
"With Ryan (Hussey) and Adam (Williams), I thought they were hard to split.
"Adam was good, and picked up a lot of touches across half back, but Ryan was very penetrating for us and set up a lot of scoring opportunities, so I was more than happy with his game."
Sims was also delighted with the performances of Whitehead, who had an intriguing tussle with Simon Hunter, and Mark Scholte.
"Simon (Hunter) is a very good player he gets a lot of marks around the ground," he said.
"So Jeff (Whitehead) just had to play accountable football, and I thought he really hurt him going the other way.
"Scholte is just enjoying his footy at the moment.
"He is fitter than he was last year, and with a few players leaving he has taken it upon himself to be one of the leaders of the side, and that's evident in the way he's been playing."
In other matches, Tarrawingee proved too strong for Bonnie Doon, winning by 30 points, Richie Leahy booted nine goals as Whorouly thumped Greta by 74 points, Tatong bounced back to defeat Goorambat by four goals, while North Wangaratta and Benalla knocked up cricket scores in their 200-plus point wins over Glenrowan and Swanpool.
By - SCOTT ANDERSON.
Cam Kennedy breaks free of congestion.
PHOTO: Cheryl Browne
Last Modified on 08/05/2012 10:02