Far left: The final scores in the Doveton and Hampton Park clash. By Brad Kingsbury
HAMPTON PARK ground out an exciting draw with third-placed DOVETON at the Robinson Reserve on Saturday in their round 12 Casey Cardinia league match.
The Doves, led by star forward Ryan Brown, shot out to a seven-goal lead at quarter-time but decided that they had done enough and allowed the workmanlike Redbacks back into the match.
After looking at a 45-point quarter-time deficit, the Redbacks worked hard and pegged that back with a nine-goal-to-one second term.
A David Biagi goal just before half-time saw the Redbacks hit the front for the first time and Doveton’s self-doubt creep back as players adjourned to the rooms to contemplate how they had blown what looked like a match-winning lead.
Hampton Park continued to pressure the Doves in the third quarter and after key Doveton defender Brad Downe left the ground with a hamstring complaint, his opponent Shane Moffatt broke free to boot important goals and help his side to a 16-point lead at the final change.
A helter-skelter final term saw the Doves grab a seven-point lead close to the end after three consecutive goals to Michael Henry, Aaron Henwood and Peter Greenstreet, before Redback spearhead Moffatt levelled the score with his sixth goal with only seconds to play.
The ball was shot out of the centre and heading towards the Doveton goal as the final siren sounded, leaving the physically and mentally spent players from both camps stunned as they realised the result.
Redback captain Josh Taylor, Ryan Simpson and Linden Fredericks were outstanding, while Brown was a real thorn in the Redbacks side throughout the game and had an enthralling battle with Sheldon Fredericks, who conceded four goals to the big forward.
Defenders Ricky Hayes and Chris Rodriquez put in eye-catching efforts, while Henry and youngster Kory Grant also battled hard.
CRANBOURNE drove a 12-goal stake through the hearts and finals hopes of neighbour DEVON MEADOWS in Sunday’s clash for the Flanagan-McAleese trophy.
Despite kicking against a steady four to five-goal breeze in the opening term, the Eagles controlled proceedings from the outset, winning in the midfield and running off half back in waves with little pressure from the Panther forwards.
Despite Panther Aaron Henneman playing as a rebounding defender in the second quarter, the Eagles retained possession for most of the term and booted 7.9 while keeping their opponents scoreless and putting the result beyond doubt to lead by 58 points at half-time.
With Leigh Holt and Ben Disney tag-teaming Devon Meadows captain Jesse Dehey in the midfield and Troy Tharle-Adams keeping a tight rein on Henneman, the Panthers found it hard to break away and score freely in the third term.
Three late Meadows’ goals in the quarter reduced the margin to 51 points at three-quarter time, but the damage had already been done and Holt made his personal tally seven goals with an accurate kick late in the term as the margin blew out to 84 points just before the final siren.
NARRE WARREN cruised to a predictable 148-point victory over winless cellar-dweller TOORADIN on the back of 13 goals from high-marking forward Lee Clark.
Despite playing at the Western Port oval and the Seagulls being close to full strength after the bye, the Magpies did as they pleased in attack, scoring a season high of 36 goals with 12 players booting one or more majors.
The positive news for the Seagulls was the fact that they also had some joy in attack, scoring 13 goals – their highest goal tally for the season.
After kicking away to a 34-point lead at quarter-time the Magpies extended that margin at every break with Shane Brewster, Nick Scanlon and Lee Boyle providing Clark (13.2 for the day) and fellow sharpshooter Brett Evans (five goals) with plenty of opportunities.
Coach Matt Shinners handed the match-day reins to his assistant Ricky Clark, who sat out the game to rest his body in preparation for a tough couple of months.
BEACONSFIELD pulverised an outclassed BERWICK in what became little more than a training run in the traditional Battle of the Creek at the Perc Allison oval.
The final siren signalled a merciful end to the one-sided rout with the ever-increasing margin stopped at 119 points.
The fallout for the Wickers was brutal with coach and former AFL star Ronnie Burns stepping down from the job in favour of his assistant Daniel Charles on Tuesday night.
An 11-goal second quarter blitz saw the home side put the issue beyond doubt and take a 77-point lead into half-time.
The third term was unspectacular apart from two great Andrew Williams goals and the match lurched to its conclusion with the ex-Magpie finishing the day with eight majors to his name and the Eagles one point shy of a 20-goal victory.
PAKENHAM dominated KEYSBOROUGH at the Toomuc Reserve, downing its fourth-placed rival by 135 points.
The home side methodically saw off the Burra’s first quarter challenge which saw it open up with the first three goals, and then made a mess of their defence, booting 13 unanswered second quarter goals and leading by 91 points at the main break.
The home side’s dominance at the fall of the ball told the tale of the day, with the game petering out to a predictable result in the second half.
Lion forward Daniel Fry starred in attack with seven goals.
PEARCEDALE had a one-point escape over lowly Red Hill to maintain its battle for a top-three position on Saturday.
The Panthers trailed by eight points at the final change but found enough to grab a nail-biting victory in a low-scoring match, with spearhead Kerem Baskaya the difference booting four goals for the day.
Daniel Field and Luke Damon were damaging for the Panthers while former Hampton Park ruckman Brent Heib was best afield for the Hillmen.
