By Marcus Uhe
Things are going from bad to worse at Gembrook Cockatoo, on the receiving end of another brutal thrashing at the hands of Narre Warren at Kalora Park.
Myles Wareham’s first goal of the contest eight minutes into the third term finally put the Brookers on the board, at which point the Magpies had registered 14 on its way to a 140-point victory.
The first quarter carried the most brutality, the Magpies kicking 10.6.66 as the Brookers failed to score.
Alarmingly for the Brookers, it’s not the first defeat of this magnitude for the season, having suffered at 163-point drubbing against Wandin back in round nine, as the losing streak grows to seven matches.
24.23.167 was Narre Warren’s second-highest team score of the campaign, behind the 170 it tallied against Olinda Ferny Creek in round six.
Riley Siwes inflicted the most damage for the Magpies with five goals, followed by Will Howe’s four, extending his lead at the top of the goal kickers list to nine.
Midfielder Corey Bader kicked two in what was one of his most impressive performances of the season to date.
Bailey Howarth, (three) Hamish West, Jake Richardson and Jesse Davies (two each) rounded-out the multiple goal kickers list for the Magpies.
Without Michael Firrito and Frank Dodinato, the back six was limited at best for Brad Coller’s side in the face of a wide-ranging arsenal.
Gembrook Cockatoo could only manage 4.3 27 as relegation appears more and more likely for last year’s Division One premiers.
Myles Wareham finished with two as Aaron Firrito and Damien Volta put in yet another long shift in the midfield.
At Woori Yallock, Wandin continue to hold bragging rights over its long-time mountain ranges rivals, blowing the Tigers away with a commanding second half in a 45-point win.
8.12 to 3.2 after half time reflected the dominance of the Bulldogs in the 12.20 92 to 7.5 47 scoreline, extending the gap on the ladder between the sides to three games, but Nick Adam’s side will rue the missed opportunity to pile-on the percentage.
The Bulldogs’ woes in front of goal set in early, missing four of their first five shots and failing to ram-home the advantage before Jordan Jaworski and Chayce Black were able to convert late in the term, as Woori Yallock were held scoreless in the opening half-hour.
But the Tigers responded with three of the next four in the second term, and even squandered chances to take the lead late in the half, leaving the Bulldogs with just a five-point lead at the long break.
Wandin blew a handful of opportunities to grow its lead early in the third term, with Jawoski’s second in the 13th minute the first goal of the quarter after a prolonged arm-wrestle to open the half.
It opened the floodgates for the Bulldogs, with Jaworski adding another minutes later and his teammates another four in the remainder of the term for a 43-point lead at the final break.
Two goals each in the final term ensures the margin remained around the seven-goal mark.
Jaworski finished with three to affirm his credentials as one of the best players in the competition, while Joel Garner’s availability thanks to Footscray’s bye the VFL was a welcome addition to the star-studded midfield.
Bailey Syswerda, Jacob Aitchison and Kody Busoli were among the best in yellow and black.
Meanwhile, Mt Evelyn’s charge to finals spot has hit another roadblock, losing for a second consecutive week to remain outside the six.
It was the revitalised Olinda Ferny Creek that brought them unstuck, winning by 10 goals in shootout between two of the competition’s wildcards 24.11 155 to the hosts’ 14.11 95.
The win lifts the Bloods off the bottom of the table and keeps their distant finals hopes alive, two games out of fifth but boasting the best percentage of the sides ranked five to nine.
Eight goals to four in the opening term set the tone for the high-scoring afternoon as Olinda Ferny Creek extended its lead at every break in the contest.
Shane Harvey kicked seven goals for the Bloods in his second game for the club while Noah Desta kicked four.
William Gordon kicked four for the Rovers as Daimon Kift’s stellar season continues.
