Sport
22 May, 2026
Downpour sinks plucky Pumas late
Wet and wild conditions, and a willing opponent, wilted Maryborough’s veteran footballers in their AFL Masters Vic Country clash against Macedon Ranges.
The Pumas ultimately fell 11 points short of the Wombats at the Kyneton Showgrounds on Sunday, as the home team held on to a narrow lead in the dying minutes of a closely contested encounter.
It was Maryborough’s second consecutive narrow loss, frustrating the Pumas despite yet more promising signs.
“There were a lot of good things to take out of the game,” Maryborough coach Lauchlan Williams said.
“We’ve had some personnel changes this season as a club, and quite a few new players, and it takes time for that to all gel together.
“The difference ultimately amounted to which side made the most of their chances in what were difficult conditions for both teams.”
The scoreline see-sawed in the first half before a downpour in the third term tightened up the contest.
Bucking the low-scoring trend, Jibb Iglesias kicked three goals, almost pulling the Pumas across the line.
David Clark, Paul Cicchini and Williams were outstanding for the visitors, who controlled much of the play despite difficulty in scoring.
Newcomers Matt McArdle, Brad Martland and Justin Robinson were also solid for the plucky but unlucky Pumas.
AFL Masters football is usually played once a fortnight with training at 6 pm on Wednesday evenings at Princes Park.