BENALLA All Blacks are back in the top eight following a big win over Goorambat, but the victory has come at a heavy price.
Young star Cody Taylor suffered a badly broken arm early in the match, snapping the radius and ulna bones clean.
The hard working wingman was running back with the flight of the ball when he collided with an opposition player, and coach Ben Wapling said the incident cast a dark cloud on what was otherwise a good day for the club.
"Everyone at the club was just shattered for Cody," Wapling said.
Taylor, last year's under 18 premiership captain and Fred Jensen Medallist, has had an enormous impact at senior level, and would be right up among the leaders in the club's best and fairest voting.
"I knew he was going to be good, but I couldn't have predicted just how good he has been," Wapling said.
"I've never seen a player come up from the thirds and have the type of impact he's had.
"He just takes the game on, and opposition clubs have really noticed him and put things in place to shut him down.
"He has constantly worked at improving his game, and his ball use in the past few weeks has really gone to another level."
But with Taylor yesterday undergoing surgery in Wangaratta, Wapling all but conceded the prodigy's season was over.
"It looks that way," he said.
Still, it certainly wasn't all doom and gloom for the Panthers, who dominated from start to finish to win 22.20 (152) to 6.7 (43).
Jack Frampton and Kaine Dockery booted 10 goals between them, while Richard Martiniello turned in a best on ground display in the middle.
"Jack's been tremendous for us this year," Wapling said.
"He's been playing more on-ball, but with Richie Martiniello back he played up forward a bit more and got among the goals."
Apart from giving the side a confidence boost after it had dropped four of its previous five matches, Wapling said the extra percentage was important.
"Things are so tight in the top eight this year, all the way through to ninth or 10th," he said.
"So any time you can get a good percentage boost is going to be important."
While the Panthers currently sit seventh on the ladder with a 6-5 record, having only beaten one team above them on the ladder, top four is by no means out of reach.
"We've been disappointed with all these small losses against the top sides," Wapling said.
"But we've been right in those games.
"It's only been five or 10-minute periods that have really hurt us, and we're working hard to turn that around.
"We're only a game and percentage out of the top four, and that's what we're chasing.
"We think we're capable of winning every game from here on out, and despite losing Cody, the team is in better shape than it was this time last year.
"Spoons (Brendan Smith) should be back next week, hopefully Hornet (Joel Hearn) isn't far off, and we've still got a few blokes like Greg Van Beek and Joel Eastwood in the twos who could come into the side."
By - SCOTT ANDERSON.
www.nenews.com.au
RISING STAR: Benalla's Cody Taylor receives the Fred Jensen Medal and trophy at last year's presentation night.
PHOTO: Cheryl Browne
Last Modified on 02/07/2012 14:54