Danny’s back and Doves on top

By Brad Kingsbury
DOVETON welcomed back enigmatic spearhead Danny Casset after a stint interstate with a four-quarter domination of ROC at the Robinson Reserve on Saturday.
Casset finished with 6.7 in his side’s 66-point win, ably assisted by captain Justin Hill who also kicked six goals and Ryan Hendy five.
The Doves dominated play across the ground for the first three quarters, increasing their lead at every break.
The result threatened triple figures at three-quarter-time when the home side held an 82-point advantage, but the Kangaroos took advantage of several injuries to key Doves and outscored their rivals in the final term to add some respectability to their score.
Ben Tivendale was ROC’s best along with Fletcher and ruckman Paul Phillips.
Doveton assistant coach Clint Wilson said the side was reorganised after Casset was cleared back from Western Australia on Friday and he was pleased with the commitment until the late-game injuries interfered.
“The first three quarters weren’t bad, but injuries in the last quarter held us back a bit,” he said.
“We handled the ball real cleanly and having Danny back in the goalsquare allowed us to use Jussy (Justin Hill) and Big Russell (Gabriel) up the ground as we needed. It just gives us more versatility.”
On the down side, youngster Shannon Henwood suffered an ankle injury that will being assessed this week while Gabriel received a knock to the knee, but is expected to be available after next weekend’s bye.
The young NARRE WARREN side gave BERWICK a 44-point reality check at the Edwin Flack Reserve.
Saturday’s awesome display of running football, on a ground that the Magpies have made their own in recent seasons, was evidence that any rival with designs on a flag will have to dance with the Magpies first.
After a competitive first term in which Berwick wasted several scoring opportunities, the home side led by three points and patrons settled in for what appeared to be headed for a close contest.
The second term started in the same manner before potential disaster struck the Magpies when injuries ended the afternoon activities of key midfielders Michael Collins and Matthew Werner.
However, rather than go into their shells, the visitors took the initiative with youngsters Justin Marriott and first gamer Dean Scanlon leading from the front assisted by Clay Peresso and key forwards Steven Kidd and Brett Evans.
Narre Warren piled on seven unanswered goals in a withering burst that saw the shell-shocked Wickers head into the half-time break trailing by 42 points.
The final term saw Narre Warren players visibly tire and key Berwick forwards David Van Diemen and Grant Noonan slipped away from their markers, Nathan Brewster and Lee Boyle, to score late goals – but it was too little too late for the home team.
PAKENHAM gave CRANBOURNE a lesson in persistence at Casey Fields, finishing the game full of running to record a 61-point victory on the back of a 10-goal haul from full-forward Daniel Fry.
Except for a period in the third term, it was business as usual for the Casey Cardinia League’s top side and that is an ominous sign for all rivals this season.
It was the defensive pressure exerted by the Lions that told the story of the day.
Captain Jared Goldsack did a great job on key Eagle forward and opposing captain Marc Holt, while in-form defender Josh Winter kept Brad Coller quiet, effectively blanketing Cranbourne’s firepower.
At the other end big-marking burly Lion spearhead Fry imposed himself on the game and led the Cranbourne defenders a merry dance.
The home side had no answer to the run created by the Pakenham midfield led by veteran Dan O’Loughlin, despite some individual patches of brilliance from Stuart Morrish, Chris Doria and zippy rover Jarrod Murphy.
TOORADIN chalked up its first senior win since the 2007 elimination final with a crowd-pleasing 33-point victory over DEVON MEADOWS at the Western Port oval to win back the perpetual Ron Mantel Shield on Saturday.
Star recruit Chad Liddell lit up the field for his new club with five goals.
The key to the result was the move of Liddell from the midfield to attack after half-time.
The former AFL player immediately created a good target and suddenly the Seagulls attack looked dangerous and capable of kicking a winning score.
The Devon Meadows midfield started to look tired and lethargic despite the absence of star Tooradin big man Steve Arvanitis.
While Aaron Henneman (four goals) and Scott Morrison (three) were effective in the forward half, the Panthers did not maintain supply and allowed Seagull playmakers including Rory Gilliatte, Jack Cole and Beau Miller in his first game back with the club, too much leeway.
Thanks to a horror run of injuries KEYSBOROUGH is little more than a shadow of the side that took on the world to make last year’s grand final and Saturday’s 77-point hiding at the hands of BEACONSFIELD saw the Burra sink to the bottom of the ladder.
After a bright opening to the game in the first term, the Eagles converted a 16-point quarter-time deficit into a six-goal lead at the main break, all but putting the end result beyond doubt.
In Nepean league PEARCEDALE continued its inconsistent season, losing to ROSEBUD by eight points in a high-scoring affair.
Big-marking Panther Kerem Baskaya booted seven goals in a losing side, but it was star Bud Ben Schultz who took the honours, collecting nine goals in a best-on-ground performance.