Panthers on top

By Mark Gullick
DEVON Meadows has raced to the top of the ladder after easily accounting for Keysborough.
The match of the round had fizzled after Devon Meadows produced a six-goal to one opening term at Keysborough.
The Panthers were never headed and cruised to a convincing 59-point win.
“Our entire first half was really good,” Devon Meadows coach Steve O’Brien said. “We won the areas that counted the most, such as the contested ball, and we were able to move the ball pretty quickly to our forwards and our blokes up there looked dangerous all day.”
O’Brien was pleased with his match-ups of Aaron Henneman’s on Greg Walker and Daniel Rigg on Tyson King. Ryan Murphy was the Panthers’ best player. Big man Adam Jago continued his excellent early-season form.
No team has scored more than seven goals against Devon Meadows and they have conceded the fewest points in the competition.
“People have got to start looking at our backline and start paying it some respect,” O’Brien said. “We’ve the best defensive unit in the competition at the moment.”
NARRE WARREN clinically disposed of Doveton by 87 points at Kalora Park on Saturday.
While the scoreboard showed the Magpies ahead by 31 points at half-time, it wasn’t until the second half that they took complete control of the match.
“We were thereabouts in the first half, but we couldn’t really get a lot of momentum going,” Narre Warren coach Matt Shinners said. “We were getting plenty of the footy, but weren’t really capitalising on our opportunities.
Jarrod Anderson was Narre Warren’s best player and was superb in defence, as were Michael McGill and Colin McNamara. Midfielders Aaron McIver and Cole Harvey provided plenty of drive. Damien Collins blanketed the dangerous Ryan Hendy.
It was another inconsistent showing from Doveton.
“It’s our worst performance of the year,” coach Mark Ladgrove said. “I was disappointed and the supporters were disappointed because the boys dropped off in the end.”
Michael Rodriquez was Doveton’s best player and he battled hard in defence. Ryan Pearson, Matt Henry and Andrew Downe were all productive around the ground.
PAKENHAM levelled its win-loss ratio with an impressive 72-point victory over an insipid Berwick.
The Lions began their 2010 premiership defence with two losses, but have now struck form and sit just outside the five.
It was the opening term that set the tone for Pakenham as it kicked seven goals to three.
Berwick fought back in the second term to trail by three goals at half-time, but a surge of goals early in the third term saw Pakenham run away with the game.
Pakenham outscored Berwick, 10 goals to two in the second half.
Berwick’s inconsistent start to the season continued and coach Glenn Dale was annoyed with his players.
“Our young blokes just can’t stand up to the heat sometimes,” he said. “It’s going to take time for them to develop. Our older blokes really let us down; they were absolutely terrible. It’s up to our leaders to step up and put their hands up and say we’re going to lead you home when the young blokes are down.”
In a further blow for Berwick, forward Grant Noonan was reported for kicking and will miss the next two matches.
“There was nothing there,” Dale said. “It was just movement of the legs. The goal umpire reported him as well, so we weren’t going to take that chance with the two umpires (reporting him). He needed a rest anyway. He needs some time away; he’s not at his best at the moment.”
Dale Robinson tried hard in the ruck all day, and Stephen Morey and Rowan Prybus were the only other Berwick players of note.
Adam Dalton and Jason Heath both spent time nursing hamstring injuries, but neither ailment was serious.
Beaconsfield held off a fast-finishing Hampton Park to record a 17-point victory.
The Eagles dominated the first half and were ahead by 49 points at half-time.
Hampton Park began controlling the ball in the third term, but couldn’t convert. It had seven shots to two in that term, but kicked only two goals. The Eagles converted both of their shots. Hampton Park kicked 4.6 to 0.1 in the final term.
“If there was another 10 minutes to go, with the way we were going, and if we’d kicked straighter in the third quarter we could’ve won,” Hampton Park coach Josh Taylor said.
He was disappointed to lose, but pleased with some aspects of his team’s play.
“Our commitment to the contest and each other in the second half was a complete contrast to what it was in the first half,” he said. “We started working harder and our pressuring and harassing, when they had the ball, was better.”
He was pleased with the performance of captain Matthew Shorey, who went into the ruck and was outstanding all day. James van Elewound kept gun Beaconsfield forward Ryan Donaldson to two goals. Daniel Wood kicked three goals on a day when Kevin McLean was held goalless. Luke Nunan tried hard all day.
CRANBOURNE dominated ROC on Sunday at Casey Fields to record an 80-point win.
The match was played in perfect conditions and a good crowd was present.
It took 45 minutes of football for ROC to score its first points of the match and by that stage, Cranbourne was 8.12.
ROC then controlled the last half of the second term and was able to score a further three goals.
Cranbourne settled after half-time with an eight-goal third term, then each team scored five goals in the last.
However, Cranbourne with 10 goalscorers had too many classy players and systematically beat ROC consistently around the ground.
Brandan Osborne was Cranbourne’s best player. Justin Berry starred with five goals. Ryan Davey and Leigh Holt were prominent around the ground.