Coughing up six goals in the opening term served as the catalyst for the NAB League loss, as the Bushies roared back into the contest late to give the Power a major scare in the final minutes.
With coach Mark Brown unable to man the whiteboard due to health and safety protocols, experienced campaigner Jason Wells stepped into the top job and said it was an opportunity lost for the now fifth-placed Bushrangers.
“We had a slow start which was exactly what happened in our round one game against them, we just weren’t strong enough around the ball and they really made us pay,” Wells said.
“Pleasingly, though, we really turned things around after quarter-time which got us back in the game and gave us that chance late to snatch it.
“It was great to see the boys respond after the slow start, the stats and the inside 50s probably showed we had enough of the footy, but we probably didn’t get that connection from our mids to our forwards working well enough to get over the line.”
Facing a 24-point deficit at the first change, the game began to turn slightly in the second term for the home side, but inaccurate kicking allowed Gippsland to extend its lead to a sizeable 35 at the main change.
At risk of being blown away, much like in their round one contest against the Power, the Bushies roared to life in the third term, piling on four goals to one to have the margin trimmed to 16 at the final change.
But with key contributors Brayden George and Max Clohesy sidelined due to injury, the Bushrangers ran out of gas late, as Power star Zane Duursma put the final nail in the coffin with a classy finish in the closing minutes.
Despite the loss, Wells said there were a lot of positives to take out of the match, as the Bushrangers dominated many of the key indicators.
“Stats sometimes tell a story, and we were really good around the contest after quarter-time which was pleasing, but at the end of the day you can’t be coughing up five-goal leads at quarter-time,” he said.
“Disappointing, but there are still plenty of good things we can take out of the game as we move into a critical part of the season.”
A number of Goulburn Valley players were pivotal in the Bushrangers’ fightback, with skipper and Seymour product Nick Quigg a particular standout, racking up 26 disposals.
“I thought Nick was fantastic, he is our captain and really led from the front after quarter-time, our midfield obviously wouldn’t have been very happy with their performance in the first term and he was the one that turned things around in the contest,” Wells said.
“Joeve (Cooper) kicked three and was the standout up forward on what was a tough day to kick goals.
“And Coby (James) went into the middle and had a big impact in the second half.”
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