Sport
7 July, 2026
Newstead defeats Dunolly by 137 points
Dunolly were the unlucky recipients of Newstead’s wrath on Saturday, as the Steaders relieved the anguish of their narrow loss to Talbot with a 137-point demolition of the Eagles.
While it marks the second time Newstead has defeated Dunolly by over 100 points this season, Saturday’s victory at Deledio Reserve was particularly convincing.
The quarter-time scoreline was a clear indication of how the contest would unfold, as the Steaders booted 8.6 to Dunolly’s no score.
The Eagles were able to weather the early storm without any severe damage caused, but after the nine-minute mark, the floodgates suddenly swung open for the visitors.
In the space of five minutes, Lachlan O’Brien, Sam Winnard and Liam O’Brien had all hit the scoreboard, giving the Steaders a healthy 26-point lead inside 15 minutes.
Winnard finished the 28-minute first quarter with four goals to have Newstead’s victory virtually sealed by quarter time.
Teenager Harrison Prigg did break Dunolly’s goalless drought midway through the second quarter after the Eagles latched onto an errant defensive kick from Adam Hunter, but the Steaders maintained their dominance after the opening interval.
A late goal from William Moran bolstered Newstead’s lead to a staggering 82 points by half time.
While possession largely resonated inside their defensive 50, Dunolly did a commendable job slowing Newstead’s onslaught of goals throughout the third quarter.
As a team, their disposal efficiency noticeably improved in the second half, denying the Steaders easy scoring chances from untimely missed targets.
With Jay McDonald a reliable safety value for the Eagles to not only retain possession but find the likes of Joel Fisher, Lachlan Tranter and Bailey Morton down the ground, Newstead were limited to two goals in the third term, scored by Winnard and Oliver Daldy.
Those goals were in between a well-taken snap from Dunolly’s Darcy Conder that helped reduce the hosts’ deficit to 94 points at three-quarter time.
Six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter allowed the Steaders to complete a rampant victory in which they recorded a stunning 49 scoring shots.
While not as prolific as his nine-goal spree during his last meeting with Dunolly, Winnard enjoyed another fruitful day with six majors, while Liam and Lachlan O’Brien booted five and four goals each.
Newstead named Lincoln White, Liam O’Brien, Alex Murphy, Moran, Joel Smith and Lachlan O’Brien as their best players. Despite the tough defeat, McDonald, Ryan Burt, Tranter, Fisher, Lachlan Watson and Morton performed well for Dunolly.