Pakenham star Luke Walker stalks the ball in the Lions’ 45-point win over Beaconsfield at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday. 30281By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE blitzed 2008 grand finalists Keysborough in the second half of Saturday’s big clash at Casey Fields, cruising to a solid 33-point victory and moving to second place on the ladder.
The Eagles persisted after a bright start by the Burra, booting nine goals to three in the second half but breaking the visitors’ back with withering eight-goal third term.
While William Gayfer kept a close watch on Cranbourne spearhead Marc Holt, it was left to the Eagles’ support players, led by Brad Coller and Ray George, to create attacking moves and both rose to the occasion superbly after the long break.
The home side worked its way on top at the stoppages with Stuart Morrish and makeshift ruckman Andre Young competing well and giving Callum Lester, Jarrod Murphy and Luke Martin first use of the ball.
The Burra was shattered at three-quarter time, both physically and mentally, with first half stars Clinton King and Warrick Hanks off the ground injured and recruits including David Roberts, Ryan Goodes, Andrew Ferguson and Davor Rajic feeling the effects of playing on the wide expanses of the Casey Fields arena.
The game petered out in the final term, mainly due to Cranbourne’s inaccuracy but the result left the two camps looking at vastly different scenarios for 2009.
Keysborough coach Greg Siwes was thrilled with the job Gayfer did to keep Holt to only one goal, booted very late in the game but had no answers to the Eagles’ more mobile forwards in George, Coller and Curtis Barker who finished with three goals apiece.
Regular forward Matthew Freeman spent most of the game in an on-ball role and the Burra struggled for consistency in attack with key goalkicker Tyson King well marked by Eagle stopper Daniel Watson.
Koop was pragmatic after the game, given it was only his team’s second hitout for the season, however he acknowledged that there were some good signs, especially in the areas of player accountability and pressure.
DOVETON shook off a bout of lethargy from the previous week and methodically defeated traditional foes HAMPTON PARK at the Booth Reserve, to retain the O’Brien-Batten trophy.
It was a methodical and consistent effort over the whole game by the Doves, who were never in serious danger and came away to win by a percentage-boosting 68 points.
The Redbacks tried hard with ruckman Brendan Fredericks and experienced playmakers including Ryan Simpson, coach Josh Taylor and Pat Clish doing all they could to stem the flow towards the Doveton goal.
However, there was little penetration in the home side’s attack with young Dove Daniel Zarjac blanketing Redback beanpole forward Shane Moffat and Matt Shorey also being nullified in a great battle with star Doveton centre half-back Ricky Hayes.
At the other end things worked well for Doveton.
Ryan Hendy and new full-forward Nathan Wilson finished with 11 goals between them while Wilson’s brother, Nyora recruit Corrie, also booted three goals but spent a significant chunk of time in the midfield.
Doveton ruckman Russell Gabriel marked strongly and is improving as the season progresses, while Daryl Thomas, Shannon Henwood and Michael Henry all found plenty of the ball in an afternoon that delivered plenty of optimism to the visitors’ camp.
ROC threw everything it had at BERWICK on the weekend but came up 24 points short after the Wickers outran their tiring opponents in a hectic and high-scoring final term.
Berwick booted eight goals to four in the last stanza and it was the last 10 minutes of the game that told the story with Berwick’s big gun forwards in Grant Noonan (seven goals) and Jason Heath (five) providing goal-kicking targets for the hard-working Wicker midfielders led by captain Andrew Tuck.
The Kangaroos took the game right up to their opponents all day and proved that they would be no easybeats in 2009.
Apart from Tuck, Berwick’s best included recruit Rowan Pybus, together with playmakers Brad Miles, Shaun Barnes and Tom Andrews, while big Kym Jones dominated at centre half-forward for ROC, supported by teammates including Greg Tivendale, Paul Phillips and veteran Mick Moylan.
PAKENHAM dug deep in the final term to overpower a spirited challenge from traditional rivals BEACONSFIELD, coming away to record a 45-point victory in perfect conditions at the Toomuc Reserve.
The margin did not tell the full story of the game, a fact acknowledged by both coaches afterwards, and although the Lions are clearly the league benchmark at this point, they were unsettled by the Eagles constant pressure and harassment early in the match.
Players from both sides were spent afterwards and their coaches were happy and disappointed about certain areas of their sides’ efforts.
There were two reports from the game with Eagle Kane Airdrie and Lion Adam Cook booked for separate alleged striking incidents. Both said they would fight their cases at the tribunal.
In Nepean league DROMANA proved too strong for PEARCEDALE, despite a five-goal haul from Panther spearhead Kerem Baskaya.
Gary Carpenter and Jack Besley were strong in the clinches but the Panthers were plagued by inconsistency and disappointing overall.
