Sport
12 June, 2026
Magpies hunt first win tomorrow
AFTER leading for much for the day, Camperdown’s senior footballers have again fallen short, going down to Cobden by five points in the round eight Hampden League match last Saturday.
Cobden stormed home in the last quarter, kicking four goals to one to win 10.9.69 to 9.10.64 at the Leura Oval.
“We’re getting very good at losing, I guess from that end it felt like it was obviously a very, very winnable game,” Camperdown coach Clinton Thomas said.
“We sort of went into our shells a little bit in the last quarter when we needed to keep playing our own brand rather than trying to defend the score, and in the end Cobden capitalised on its opportunities in that last quarter.”
While disappointed to remain winless, Thomas said there was a bigger picture to look at.
“We’re having to really look at how we’re measuring our growth and our success, the unfortunate thing is that the vast majority of people look purely at wins and losses,” he said.
“The more you focus on your wins and losses the more it becomes a monkey on the back.
“A big focus for us is really just recognising that in our next stage of growth and our next phase, we need to really try and work on learning to be competitive regardless of scoreboard pressure and being okay to lose on the scoreboard, but to still go down playing your own game style, rather than going into your shell.
“It’s a shift in focus that we really have to try and work towards moving forward.”
Dom Absalom was best for Camperdown in the loss.
“Dom was great, he gave us a lot of drive, we played him on the wing and he gave us a lot of good looks coming into the forward 50.”
Harry Sumner led Camperdown’s possession getters with 21 disposals in just his second game of the season.
“Harry played a ripping game, back to basically Harry’s best.
“He’s had a couple of weeks now blowing out the cobwebs, he was certainly great value on the weekend.”
Jonty Lafferty and Darcy Vick were also in the best for the Magpies.
“Laffa continues to have a fantastic year and is continuing to take his footy to another level.
“Darcy’s certainly been competitive for a guy who took a year off footy last year, he’s come back in and picked up the reins pretty well.”
Veteran Fraser Lucas was Camperdown’s only multiple goal kicker, slotting through four majors.
“Fraser had a bit of a day out, just the matchup worked quite well for us with Frase.
“We moved him into a position where we could capitalise on it a little bit more, he’s an old head, he knows how to play, he had a good day.”
This week Camperdown heads to the Gardens Oval to play Port Fairy, the only other team without a win.
“It’s another good opportunity for us to work on the areas that we need to work on, I don’t know how the other teams are feeling, but there’s no games that we’re coming into feeling that we can’t compete in.
“The big challenge for us will be to string it together for four quarters and continue playing our style regardless of what’s happening, what quarter it is or what the scoreboard is saying.”
The reserves match saw Cobden score a 7.9.51 to 3.8.26 win.
Isaac McVilly, Ethan Coates, Jack Hookway, Callum McIlveen and Issac Fowler were Camperdown’s best in the loss, with Luke Bone kicking two goals and Jacob Fowler one.
Cobden had a two point win in the under 18s, 6.4.40 to 6.2.38.
Charlie Londregan, Irrewarra-Beeac permit player Archie Walker and Cooper Doolan were best for the under 18 Magpies, with Walker kicking three goals and one each to Londregan, Isaac Cootesmith and Levi Cootesmith.
In the under 16 football at Cobden on Sunday, Camperdown scored a big 110-point win, 18.14.122 to 2.0.12.
Best for the Magpies were Archie McDonald, Nate Castle, Miller Lockhart, Jonty Raven, Isaac Lawlor and Alex Huggins, with McDonald kicking five goals, Charlie Unwin and Bayden Ward two with one each to Raven, Lockhart, Castle, Orson Capizzi, Josh Finlayson, Mason Narik, Ethan Shadforth, Blake O’Connor and Max Rees.
The under 14 game saw Cobden have a narrow 5.4.34 to 4.7.31 win.
Darby Sinnott, Oscar Pyle and Parker Lockhart were best for Camperdown, with Sinnott kicking two goals and one each to Lockhart and Beau Smith.
Camperdown was dominant in the under 12 football, scoring a 13.12.90 to 0.0.0 win.
Best for the junior Magpies were Eddie Gellie, Angus Murphy, Jack Hillman and Jamie Gardiner, with Gellie kicking three goals and two each to Lewie West, William Sinnott and George Titmus.
In the Open netball, Cobden was too strong, winning 63-41.
Nell Mitchell, Rosie Pickles and Piper Stephens were Camperdown’s best in the loss, with Mitchell shooting 29 goals and Stephens 11.
The division one netball went the way of Camperdown who had a 43-42 win.
Kaitlyn Fowler, Isobel Sinnott and Kiara Love were best for Camperdown, with Love shooting 27 goals and Isobel Marwood 10.
The division two game saw Cobden score a 52-29 win.
Grace Dawson shot 19 goals in the loss, with Hope Kerr, Sarah Spokes and Jocelyn McDonald best.
Camperdown scored a 38-23 victory in division three.
Best for the Magpies were Emily Helmore, Olivia Loader and Lauren Murphy, with Lauren Groen shooting 23 goals and Lily Baker 15.
Camperdown had a 59-24 win in the 17 and under netball.
Kiara Love shot 49 goals and was named in the best alongside Madison Lucas and Sasha Kerr.
The 17 and under reserves saw a 23-19 win to Cobden.
Meg Lafferty, Grace Fleming and Charli Lee were best for Camperdown, with Keira Johnston scoring 12 goals and Matea McKenzie seven.
The 15 and under game saw Cobden score a 31-30 win.
Violet McDowall, Mali Maskell and Olive Wills were best for the Magpies, with Abigail Sinnott shooting 22 goals.
In the 15 and under reserves netball, Camperdown had a 19-17 win.
Best for Camperdown were Ruby Johnston, Vogue Fleming and Zhai Lyons, Fleming shooting 13 goals.
The 13 and under game saw a 25-15 win to Cobden.
Bella Brebner, Millie Bourke and Marlee Fitzgerald were Camperdown’s best, with Alexa Raven scoring 12 goals.
Camperdown’s 13 and under reserves team registered a 15-14 win.
For the junior Magpies, Holly Anne Brooks, Poppy Gaut and Pippa Woodmason were named as best, with Brooks shooting nine goals.
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