Doveton’s Ricky Hayes prepares to spoil Hampton Park’s Mitch Whatman’s marking attempt in the Redbacks’ upset 18-point win at Pakenham’s Toomuc Reserve on Saturday. 21836By Brad Kingsbury
DOVETON bowed out of the 2008 premiership race after a determined HAMPTON PARK showed four quarters of resolve to score an 18-point victory in Saturday’s elimination final at Pakenham.
The victory was the Redbacks’ first ever at Pakenham’s Toomuc Reserve, and signalled a change of finals fortune for the side that had bowed out in the last three elimination finals.
The defeat brought the curtain down on Doveton coach Tom Hallinan’s 16-year playing career.
The Redbacks brought in Chris Hussey for his 250th game, along with Linden Fredericks, Joe Bertuna and Scott Eastwood, while the Doves welcomed back captain Clint Wilson and Trevor Davies, but was without out of sorts forward Ryan Brown.
Hampton Park started well with full forward Kevin McLean kicking the first goal at the six-minute mark, giving the Redbacks a lead that was never headed.
The pressure was on the Doves from the outset, and it was 22 minutes into the first quarter before Ryan Pearson slotted their first goal, however a five-minute burst saw the game favourites draw level just before quarter-time.
Elusive forward David Biagi booted three classic opportunist goals while Jack Besley, Dean Jamieson and Sean Winsall also chipped in with majors to see the Redbacks clear out by five goals at the 17-minute mark of the second term.
Hallinan moved himself on to Biagi after the burst by the former Casey Scorpion and, again, the Doves responded to reduce the lead to 19 points just before the long break.
After Henry got on top of McClimont, youngster Luke Nunan was sent to the dangerous rover in a winning move that further reduced the Doves’ bite around the packs.
The third term saw the enigmatic McLean turn it on with two goals in the opening two minutes, including a soccer scissor-kick out of mid-air that brought the strangely subdued crowd to life.
Hampton Park again eked its lead out to five goals and with few options in attack Hendy moved forward and booted two goals to keep his side in the game, before late goals to Shane Moffatt and Jamieson saw the Redbacks out to what proved to be a match-winning 27-point lead at three-quarter time.
Hallinan pleaded with his players for a huge effort in the final term and rolled the dice by switching Nathan Wilson and Ricky Hayes from defence to attack, and despite both kicking goals, the Hampton Park horse had bolted and the Redbacks finally broke their Casey Cardinia league finals hoodoo with a well-earned and well-deserved victory.
McLean finished with six goals in an outstanding effort, while Nunan, Dawes, Jamieson, Biagi and the Fredericks brothers all had plenty of the ball.
An interesting statistic showed that the Redbacks won the centre clearances each quarter with a final tally of 23 to 12, and coach Jason Caples attributed much of that to the work rate of best afield Jack ‘Pup’ Besley.
Hallinan said it had been a tough day and lamented the loss, but paid tribute to Hampton Park and Caples in particular.
NARRE WARREN scored a comprehensive 61-point qualifying final victory over third-placed KEYSBOROUGH at Berwick on Sunday, confining the Burra to a cut-throat first semi-final showdown with Hampton Park.
The Magpies won in almost every aspect of the game and had they kicked straight in the first half, the contest would have been over earlier.
Keysborough was kept in the game by the efforts of star on-baller Shaun Daly and key forward Tyson King who made the most of the limited opportunities in attack.
King and full forward Luke McGuinness were the only real options in attack, with Matthew Freeman well held by Michael McGill, and the difference in options was evident early in the match with Magpie midfielders Brad Scalzo, Nick Scanlon and Ricky Clark contributing important goals in the first quarter.
The reigning premiers settled into their work quickly and shot out to a 19-point lead at the first change, dominating general play around the ground.
Burra coach Greg Siwes asked his players to lift the pressure on their opponents at the break and they responded in the second quarter, forcing the Magpies into a number of uncharacteristic disposal errors and reducing the advantage to 16 points at the main break.
The third quarter saw Keysborough hang tough and answer every challenge thrown at them by their highly rated opponent until deep into time-on.
Narre Warren had threatened to take charge for 25 minutes but led by only eight points at the 25-minute mark, before goals to Scanlon, Ryan Stanes and Lee Clark in a space of four minutes, saw the Magpies’ lead extended to 31 points at the final change and the result all but inked in.
The Keysborough players had given their all and the final term was all Narre Warren as wave after wave of run broke through the Burra defence, assisted by some ordinary umpiring decisions, contributing to five unanswered goals in 20 minutes that blew the margin out to more than 10 goals.
Ricky Clark had his usual dose of leather poisoning to deal with after the game, while Magpie team-mates including Collins, Matthew Werner (three goals), Scalzo and Scanlon were also in the thick of the action all day.
While happy to get through with a win, coach Matthew Shinners was critical of his players’ disposal errors and said that any repeat would be far more costly next weekend.
PEARCEDALE crashed out of the 2008 Nepean league premiership race, going down by 76 points to FRANKSTON in the first semi-final at Rye.
The Panthers could not reproduce the form that saw them down the Bombers twice in the home and away season, and capitulated after half-time with Frankston forward Joel Atkins booting eight goals in a best on ground performance.
Kaine Smith finished the afternoon with four goals for Pearcedale, while Chris O’Dell, Steve Watson, and Luke Damon were among the Panthers’ best players.
