General News
29 April, 2021
Bloods mark Hay’s milestone with victory
TERANG Mortlake skipper Jarryd Hay hopes more wins are around the corner for his youthful side after it recorded its first win of the year last Saturday.
TERANG Mortlake skipper Jarryd Hay hopes more wins are around the corner for his youthful side after it recorded its first win of the year last Saturday.
The Bloods held off a gallant Port Fairy 13.13 (91) to 11.15 (81) at Ridley Recreation Reserve, celebrating Hay’s 150th match for the club in style.
Hay, who was among the Bloods’ best players, said his side revelled in the winning atmosphere post-game.
“It was unreal in the rooms after the game, it was packed and everyone was up and about,” he said.
“I think everyone will take a little bit of confidence out of that.
“They fought back in the third quarter but we managed to hold on and then regroup in the last so we’ll definitely take a bit of confidence out of that.”
The win also marked coach Ben Kenna’s first triumph at the helm.
Kenna became emotional during his post-match address to the players, a moment Hay said encapsulated his coach’s passion.
He said the win was a great reward for his mentor, with his players now eager to build on their momentum.
“He actually got a little bit emotional after the game and I think everyone enjoyed seeing that,” Hay said.
“He’s obviously come in to the role and wants to put a lot of effort into it and everyone saw that in the rooms.
“Hopefully everyone now gets behind him and we get a few more wins.”
As for his 150th game, Hay was delighted to record victory, adding his milestone was something he was “pretty proud of”.
The 27 year-old has been a constant in the Bloods senior side for the last eight years despite success being limited within his club’s senior ranks.
“I’ve played all my junior footy here so to play 150 games for your home town club is great and hopefully I have a few more left in me,” Hay said.
“We’ve had a few tough years (recently), it’s been a while since we played finals but I guess I just love playing with my mates.
“There’s a good vibe around the club, no one drops their heads even though there has been a few tough years.
“But we have some good young fellas coming though now so hopefully we can start stringing together a few wins.”
With his milestone now out of the way, Hay and his team-mates are setting their attention on their upcoming clash with Hamilton Kangaroos.
The skipper said the clash was “a winnable game” for his side, but added it would be wary of a Kangaroos outfit wanting to respond after a heavy loss last weekend.
“After the weekend we showed that we are capable of winning games of footy,” Hay said.
“They’re coming off a fair loss last weekend and will be keen to bounce back and they do play their home ground well so we’re not taking them lightly but we do see it as a winnable game.
“We’ll go up there with a bit of confidence to get the four points.”
In the lower grades, Terang Mortlake recorded an 8.10 (58) to 1.4 (10 victory in the under 18.5 clash but was dealt an 11.7 (73) to 8.8 (56) loss in the reserve contest.