Casey Cardinia League review – week two finals

By Brad Kingsbury
THE previously undefeated DOVETON juggernaut ground to a 98-point halt against a determined and focussed PAKENHAM in a horribly one-sided second semi-final at Berwick on Sunday.
Except for the superb marking of star ruckman Russell Gabriel, there was not one positive for the Doves in an appalling afternoon that also saw the club’s top-of-the-table reserves cop a beating.
Pakenham kicked to the Princes Highway end of the Edwin Flack Reserve in the opening term, but there was little wind and that was not a factor.
The Lions dominated the centre clearances, despite Gabriel’s influence, and pounded the ball forward with monotony, but were inaccurate with Cory Lenders, Chris Smith, Daniel Fry and Adam Cook (twice) missing regulation shots at goal.
The scores were nine behinds to one before Beau Wheeler slotted the Lions’ first major at the 20-minute mark of the game, quickly followed by one each to Jack O’Rourke and Luke Walker, giving Pakenham a 27-point lead at the first change.
That should have been larger given that the inside 50s were 16 to four for the term, but any concerns that the Doves may regroup in the second quarter were put to the sword with another three quick goals extending the Lions’ lead to 46 points in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter.
It took a bit of around-the-corner magic from star Ryan Hendy to record Doveton’s first major for the game at the 16-minute mark of the match, but the horse had already bolted and there was never going to be a miraculous comeback by the minor premiers.
Things went from bad to worse when the Doves lost captain Justin Hill to a calf injury in the second quarter, and the game meandered to a predictable end throughout a lack-lustre and relatively highlight-free second half.
The Lions goals were spread over 12 individuals with Blake and Lenders the major contributors with three each.
At the other end Danny Casset kicked two goals but looked slow and was well held by Brown, while midfielder Kim Aboujaber also finished with two of his team’s paltry return of five majors.
At no stage did Doveton play as a team or work for each other and they looked every bit a disjointed group of talented individuals, but who are simply not good enough to win finals matches by themselves.
Doveton assistant coach Clint Wilson said that excluding Gabriel and Hendy, his whole side was down.
“I’ve got to admit I didn’t see that coming,” he said.
“We were lazy, which does tend to happen when you lose, but there was no pressure at all and that’s the biggest worry.”
CRANBOURNE catapulted into a preliminary finals showdown with traditional rivals Doveton, with a sensational 75-point thumping of reigning premiers NARRE WARREN in Saturday’s first semi-final.
Eagles captain Marc Holt trounced three of the competition’s best defenders, slotting nine of his side’s 21 goals in breezy conditions at the Toomuc Reserve.
Despite the Eagles taking a two-nil home-and-away record into the cut-throat clash, Narre Warren fielded its strongest side of the season with the return of Daniel Borninkhof and Chris Collins, and started the game as slight favourites.
However that counted for nothing after Holt won the toss and kicked with the assistance of a steady cross-breeze.
Cranbourne piled on four goals in the first 12 minutes with the Magpie forwards only able to watch from a distance thanks to some superb rebounding across half back by Matt Thompson, Aaron Shedlock and wily veteran Troy Datson.
Matt Werner scored the Magpies only goal of the term just before time-on before another six-minute burst of power from the Eagles produced a further five unanswered majors.
When Holt slotted his fourth for the quarter on the siren to give his side a 52-point lead at the first change, the contest was as good as over.
The Magpies were soundly beaten out of the midfield with Eagles Adam Wright and Stuart Morrish dominating the ruck, and Narre Warren players simply did not work hard enough both ways to make a run at their super-confident opponent.
Cranbourne retained a lead of more than 40 points for the rest of the match and finished the game with four goals to put the icing on a well-prepared cake.
The Eagles exerted extreme physical pressure on the Magpie youngsters at every stoppage and it took a swift and significant toll.
Koop’s match-ups all worked well with Luke Martin shadowing Magpie young gun Jackson Parker, Daniel Watson keeping Brett Evans in check and Ricky Harmes running with star midfielder Michael Collins throughout the afternoon.
Collins still had plenty of the ball and booted two goals but did not have enough mates prepared to sacrifice themselves to stop the Eagles momentum.
Magpie captain Glenn Hamilton battled the game out manfully along with defender Daniel Vandenbroek, but it was a disappointing day for the Magpies’ army of supporters who have become so accustomed to winning at this time of year.
Holt was clearly best afield and saw off top-line defenders including Lee Boyle, Colin McNamara and Steven Kidd, while teenage sensation Ryan Jones was busy on a wing and had the better of Magpie Chris Lee.
Koop, who was named as coach of the 2009 Team of the Year on Monday night, said the effort was exactly what was required to win finals football and his players would be better again for that experience.
“We were expecting a really tough game but our first quarter made it very difficult and I thought our second quarter was just as good,” he said.
“They really needed to do something very special after half time and it was just beyond them.”