Sport
28 April, 2026
Navarre earns 70-point victory over the Giants
Following their disappointing round two result to Newstead, Navarre got back on track with a 70-point win over the Maryborough Giants on Sunday at Hedges Oval.
The Giants looked a shadow of the side that dominated the first half against Avoca the previous week, instead producing a performance more reminiscent of that game’s second half — and Navarre took full advantage.
Sam Walker and Jack Mentha were dominant at the centre bounces, giving the Grasshoppers first use, while Riley Bibby was a constant threat up forward.
It was the Giants who struck first, with Riley Govan kicking truly inside the opening minute.
However, Navarre quickly responded, booting four of the next five goals to take control of the contest. Bibby was heavily involved early, although he only managed one goal for the term.
A highlight for the Giants came midway through the quarter when Mitch Stork produced a terrific effort to keep the ball alive on the boundary.
Stork handballed to Brandon Carter, who snapped a brilliant goal on his left foot from a tight angle to bring the margin back to just two points at the 21-minute mark.
But late goals to Will Moloney and Sam Rickard saw Navarre take a 14-point lead into the first break.
Mentha opened the scoring in the second term straight from the centre bounce, before the Giants responded through Karson Guareschi and Carter, the latter benefiting from a 50-metre penalty to close the gap to 10 points.
From there, Navarre took control. Goals to Bibby, Rickard and Luke Hendy saw the Grasshoppers establish a 31-point lead at half time.
That advantage quickly grew in the third quarter, with Navarre kicking the first three goals through Bibby, Moloney and Mentha to extend the margin to 49 points.
To their credit, the Giants responded with a brief burst, generating four scoring shots in a 10-minute period, with goals to Matt Johnson and Atticus Cullinan offering some resistance.
Yet Navarre had the answers, finishing the quarter strongly through Hendy and Bibby to comfortably lead by 50 points at the final change.
The final term belonged to Rickard, who capped off an outstanding performance with three goals to finish with five for the match, as the Grasshoppers ran away with a convincing win.
Navarre’s best players were Angus Bade, Rickard, Walker, Rylan Gooden, Will Moloney and Harry Schroder.
For the Giants, Scott Miller, Jonathon Short, Cobie Read, Carter, Brock Walker and Stork were named among the better performers.