Sport
31 July, 2025
Thunder push Ararat to the limit
If there’s ever been a moment this season where the seemingly unbeatable Ararat looked vulnerable, it was Saturday, and it was the Southern Mallee Thunder who brought the heat.
Facing the ladder leaders on a drenched Jeparit deck, the Thunder gave Ararat their toughest test yet in a fiery, physical encounter that had everything: big moments, big hits, and plenty of mud.
While the final score read 10.10 (70) to 6.9 (45) in Ararat’s favour, it barely tells the story of how close this contest truly was.
Thunder went toe-to-toe with the undefeated powerhouse all afternoon, trailing by just one point at quarter time and going into the main break locked at level pegging.
Even at three-quarter time, it was anyone’s game, with Ararat leading by only a narrow margin.
But in a final term that saw Ararat finish with composure and polish, the Thunder, hampered by the loss of key forward Reid Polak to a back injury in the third quarter, just couldn’t quite match the scoreboard pressure.
There were still plenty of positives to take. Brayden Ison was outstanding across four quarters, relishing the heavy conditions and standing up in the big moments. Lou White was rock solid down back, and Billy Lloyd provided plenty of physical presence around the contest alongside Kai Sheers.
Delahunty’s ruck work was exceptional gifting the Thunder first use consistently throughout Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t just the weather turning it up, confrontations and tension peppered the match, adding a fierce, finals-like intensity to what was already a headline clash.
Despite the loss, Thunder fans left the ground knowing their side is more than capable of mixing it with the best.
The challenge now? Back it up. They’ll head to Horsham this weekend to take on the second-placed Saints, hungry to flip the script from earlier in the year and solidify their spot in the top five with just four rounds to go.
Watch this space. There’s still plenty of Thunder in the forecast.
Best: (Ararat) Harry Ganley, Ben Taylor, Henry Shea, James Jennings, Adam Haslett, Sonny Kettle. (Thunder) Lou White, Brayden Ison, Kieran Delahunty, Billy Lloyd, Kai Sheers, Coleman Schache.
The skies may have cleared slightly, but the damage was already done by the time the Southern Mallee Thunder Reserves took to the field in Jeparit for their Round 14 clash against ladder-leaders Ararat.
After two junior matches had churned the ground into a mud pit, it was classic wet weather footy for the afternoon.
With the Thunder already out of finals contention and Ararat unbeaten, the odds were always stacked,but the Thunder outfit showed grit in difficult conditions.
Ararat flexed their muscle early, applying scoreboard pressure from the first bounce and maintaining it throughout the match, adding goals in each quarter.
Thunder’s defence worked overtime to stem the flow, but the mud and pressure made clean ball movement near impossible.
It wasn’t until the dying minutes of the final term that Thunder found a way forward, with Hudson McCredden breaking the drought and slotting the side’s sole major for the day.
Jakob Cocks led the resistance, thriving around the contest with clean hands and smart decision-making to earn best-on-ground honours.
Despite the sticky conditions, the game’s slower pace allowed the nimble Declan Brown and Liam Preston to shine through the midfield, while Adam Schulz used his body to good effect in the clinches.
Jason Box and Matthew Thomas also battled hard to round out the Thunder’s best on a day where opportunities were scarce.
The Thunder now prepare for another tough assignment, set to face the second-placed Saints in Round 15.
With a desire to finish the season strong, they’ll be looking to take the fight to another finals-bound opponent.
Final score: Ararat 14.12 (96) defeated Thunder 1.2 (8).
Best (Ararat) Alan Batchelor, Jackson Bohner, Nicholas Pell, Liam Arnott, Flynn Toner, Corey Taylor. (Thunder) Jakob Cocks, Declan Brown, Liam Preston, Adam Schulz, Jason Box, Matthew Thomas.
Southern Mallee Thunder’s Under 17s took to a wet Jeparit oval for Round 14 against Ararat, putting up a spirited four-quarter effort before falling short by 15 points in a hard-fought contest.
Captain Will Fisher won the toss and elected to kick with the breeze in tricky conditions, and Thunder made the most of it early.
Fisher and Parker Gould led the midfield charge, pushing the ball forward with intent and setting the tone for a physical encounter.
In a tightly contested opening term, the Thunder backline stood strong to absorb Ararat’s forward pressure.
The first goal came from some brilliant team play - Zander Eckermann’s kick to space was run down by a hard-charging Fisher, who slotted it truly to give Thunder a narrow 1.3 to 1.2 lead at the first break.
Ararat responded in the second quarter, making full use of the wind advantage to kick 2.1 while holding Thunder to a solitary point, swinging the momentum heading into half time.
With the breeze back in their favour in the third, Thunder locked down defensively and kept Ararat scoreless. Spencer Williams provided plenty of drive across half-back, and Lenny Weir was again reliable in the ruck.
Weir also made his presence felt on the scoreboard, pushing forward and slotting a goal.
Max Roberts looked dangerous inside 50, moving well and creating opportunities.
At three-quarter time the game was delicately poised, with Ararat holding a narrow two-point lead—3.3 (21) to Thunder’s 2.7 (19).
But in the final term, it was Ararat who steadied best, using the wind and converting their chances to kick 2.2 to Thunder’s 0.1, running out eventual winners by 15 points.
Despite the result, Thunder remain in fourth position on the ladder with four rounds remaining in the home and away season.
With performances full of grit and plenty of positives across the ground, they’ll look to bounce back quickly and consolidate their spot in the top four.
Final score Ararat 5.5 (35) defeated Thunder 2.8 (20).
Best: (Ararat) Sam Preston, Billy Jenkins, Will Chamings, Hamish Barr, Archer Sparks, Cody Ball (Thunder) Will Fisher, Lenny Weir, Parker Gould, Max Roberts, Spencer Williams, Ryder Gould.
The Southern Mallee Thunder Under 14s took on top-of-the-ladder Ararat in Jeparit on the weekend, and while the final margin showed a 31-point loss, the performance was anything but one-sided.
their most promising efforts of the season.
With water pooling across large parts of the ground, it was clear early that the match would be won by whichever team could adapt best to the conditions and stick to the basics.
Thunder set the tone with a strong “footy first” mentality, focused on getting the ball forward at all costs and keeping the pressure on Ararat’s usually free-flowing game.
Thunder won the first centre clearance and dominated territory in the opening quarter, locking the ball inside their forward half for long stretches. Unfortunately, their hard work wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard, registering 4 behinds from several entries, while Ararat made the most of limited chances to kick 1.1 and take a narrow lead.
With the wind at their backs in the second term, Ararat began to edge away, but Thunder continued to make life difficult for the league leaders, keeping the contest tight and physical.
At the final break, Thunder had registered more scoring shots - 1.8 to Ararat’s 3.3 - but poor conversion meant they trailed by just 7 points in a match still very much up for grabs.
In the final quarter, Ararat’s class began to show as they capitalised on Thunder’s tiring legs and extended their lead, eventually running out 31-point winners.
But the Thunder could hold their heads high after a brave and committed four-quarter effort.
Isaac Credlin was outstanding all day, winning contest after contest and earning best-on-ground honours for his relentless work. Axel Decker provided physical presence around the ball, never shying away from the contest.
Hugo Gould was lively up forward, using his creativity to generate opportunities in tight spaces, while Charlie Williams handled the wet conditions with composure, particularly impressive as a tall in such difficult weather.
Ryley Bainbridge embodied the “footy first” mindset with clean hands and smart decision-making, and Lawrenz Lobero brought straight-line running and energy all game, constantly applying pressure.
While the scoreboard didn’t fall their way, the Thunder’s ability to match it with the competition’s top team in trying conditions gives them a huge confidence boost as they head into the final month of the home-and-away season.
A strong team performance that sets the standard for what’s to come.
Final score Ararat 7.3 (45) defeated Thunder - 1.8 (14)
Best (Ararat) Ryder Belcher, Billy Walker, Patrick Harrington, Logan Sewell, Knox Baldock, Jimmy McDougall. (Thunder) Isaac Credlin, Lawrenz McIntosh, Charlie Williams, Ryley Bainbridge, Hugo Gould, Axel Decker.