It was a grind.
It was an ugly win, according to Mooroopna coach John Lamont, but those are the wins that make a difference in a finals contender’s season.
At Deakin Reserve on Saturday afternoon, the Cats walked away with the round eight Goulburn Valley League win (80-97) despite a valiant effort from their opponent, Shepparton United.
The Cats were not able to play their clean and slicing possession brand of football —barring a golden 15-minute patch in the third quarter — with Shepparton United’s pressure and the slippery and windy conditions playing a factor.
One player who stood out in the navy-coloured hoops was dashing half-back Angus Hanrahan.
The rebounding defender was a shining light for the Cats, providing Mooroopna with plenty of drive out of the back half of the ground.
On a day that was affected by a slippery deck — a result of the torrential rain over Thursday and Friday — many players struggled with their accuracy, but Hanrahan was clean by hand and foot, his 30 disposals going at 80 per cent efficiency.
Hanrahan was also instrumental in the Cats’ match-winning third-quarter burst (they kicked four goals in six minutes), with Hanrahan kicking two consecutive majors to help ignite Mooroopna.
The defender’s impact on the scoreboard didn’t end there, with Hanrahan also recording eight score involvements and five goal involvements for the match.
Players and coaches widely recognise that the kick inside 50 is arguably the hardest and most important disposal a player can have; during Saturday’s match Hanrahan went at 100 per cent efficiency when going inside 50 (four times) as he continues to prove his capabilities across half-back.
Angus Hanrahan’s day out against Shepparton United
Disposals: 30
Disposal efficiency: 80 per cent
Contested possessions: 11
Total ground ball gets: 8
Marks: 7
Goals: 2
Goal involvements: 5
The rangy defender has quietly been putting together an impressive season for the Cats, averaging a tick more than 100 ranking points a game.
Hanrahan has also been consistently clean with ball in hand, averaging 19.4 effective disposals from his 24.7 touches a game in 2024.
In his past four matches for Mooroopna, Hanrahan has had 36, 25, 28 and 30 disposals with an average disposal efficiency of 81.8 per cent.
Eight rounds into the season and Mooroopna is well placed on the ladder in fifth position, with only percentage separating it and third-placed Mansfield.
If the Cats are to make a strong charge this season, they will need Hanrahan to maintain his clean and sharp brand of football deep into September.
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