Sport
16 June, 2026
Giant final term powers Maryborough past Maldon
The Maryborough Giants produced one of their most determined performances of the season, overcoming a 10-point three-quarter-time deficit to defeat Maldon by 22 points in difficult conditions at Bill Woodfull Reserve.
Maldon had the upper hand in the opening term as persistent rain and slippery conditions made ball handling extremely difficult.
The Bombers controlled much of the territory battle, with the majority of play taking place in their forward half. Three early goals helped the home side establish a handy advantage.
The Giants managed just one scoring opportunity for the quarter when the returning Lachlan Bates had a shot on goal that drifted wide. Maldon took a 20-point lead into the first break.
The visitors responded strongly in the second quarter. Karson Guareschi sparked the revival by kicking the first two goals of the term inside five minutes to immediately put the Bombers under pressure.
Brandon Carter then earned a free kick for holding the man, with the resultant score reducing the margin to just two points.
With the football being like a piece of soap, both teams struggled to handle the wet conditions.
Mitch Stork gathered cleanly on the run midway through the quarter and his goal gave the Giants the lead for the first time.
However, Maldon responded through captain Ashley Woodman from a free kick in the goal square.
A pair of minor scores later in the term saw the sides deadlocked at 4.3 (27) apiece at half time.
With the lights turned on for the second half as the weather closed in, the third quarter became an entertaining goal-for-goal battle. Neither side was able to gain any real ascendancy, but Maldon managed to edge ahead and carried a 10-point advantage into the final break.
The final quarter belonged to the Giants. Led by the brilliance of Carter, who kicked three last-quarter goals, the visitors exploded into life.
Carter’s pressure and finishing ability proved a constant headache for the Bombers, while Cody Wright, Jonathon Short, Rhys Wagstaff, and Guareschi continued to drive the Giants forward.
The Giants piled on six goals in the final term while restricting Maldon to four behinds, turning a 10-point deficit into a convincing 22-point victory.
Wright, Short, Carter, Wagstaff, Guareschi, and Matthew Walker were named the Giants’ best players.
For Maldon, Tadgh Cananzi, Tristian Rowe, Matthew Gray, Tully Rowbottom, Patrick Barry, and Coby Bennett battled hard throughout the afternoon.