By DAVID NAGEL
BEACONSFIELD has shown it is still hungry and ready for a stern defence of its 2014 premiership crown as the newly-formed South East Football League kicked off with a bang on the weekend.
The big question mark hanging over the Eagles was whether they still had the hunger after a long and joyous celebration of their first premiership flag in a decade last year.
They answered emphatically, with a gutsy, resilient, and typically team-orientated 11-point victory over arch-rival Berwick at Holm Park Reserve.
“It’s only round one, but to play a really good side in Berwick, and to play the way we did, with that pressure and that hunger, it says a fair bit, I reckon,” Beaconsfield coach Clint Evans said.
“We really didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, with so many young blokes coming into the side, so it was great to play that hard brand of footy that we did last year.”
No more than eight points separated the two sides at the first three breaks, the Eagles holding on courtesy of four goals to Taylor Joyce and brilliant midfield displays from Jesse Linkins, Daniel Mislicki and Damien Johnston.
Narre Warren, still with its teeth clenched and its head shaking after last year’s straight sets finals elimination, showed it would still be a dominant force with a 70-point dissection of Cranbourne at Casey Fields.
After a tight opening, the Magpies piled on five goals in just nine minutes at the end of the first quarter to, basically, end the game as a contest.
Ben Wragg, with five goals, and Matt Lee with three were pivotal up forward for the Maggies while Ben Giobbi, Jackson Parker and Matt Soroczynski provided some real pace out of defence.
Doveton survived the first real heart-stopper in the SEFL with a one-point victory over Tooradin at Robinson Oval.
The Doves trailed by 25 points at the main break but fought back with five goals to Ricky Hayes and a brilliant marking display from Jarrad Boumann across half-back, the key planks of victory.
“Over the last couple of years we would have lost that game, but I think we all lifted and showed some real character and that’s got to be good for our confidence and belief going forward,” Doves coach Shannon Henwood said.
Pakenham pushed aside an unimpressive pre-season to score an impressive 86-point victory over Hampton Park at Toomuc Reserve.
“I don’t understand it, I think we’ve got the best team on the park since I’ve been here (three years) but we sort of feel like people have written us off already and we don’t know why,” Lions’ coach Steve O’Bryan said.
Jake Smith finished with five for the Lions while skipper Dean Blake was back to his brilliant best through the midfield.
The highlight of this week’s round of matches will be the appearance of former St Kilda star Stephen Milne, who will line up for Hampton Park against Beaconsfield at the Robert Booth Reserve.
