By Marcus Uhe
A 10-goal haul from Narre Warren spearhead Will Howe powered the Magpies to a convincing win over Berwick Springs in round eight of Outer East Football Netball’s Premier division football on Saturday.
Coming up against familiar faces in the coaches box, in Hayden Stagg and Chris Johnson, it was Narre Warren at their two-way best in a ruthless display at both ends of the ground, winning 23.18 156 to 3.8 26 at Kalora Park.
Howe slotted his tenth midway through the final term and snatched the lead back from Woori Yallock forward Taylor Gibson at the top of the leading goal kicker chart, now with 35 to show for his efforts in 2024.
It’s the second time at senior level that Howe has reached double figures in the black and white stripes, having kicked 11 against Olinda Ferny Creek almost exactly 12 months ago.
Howe was one of four players to kick multiple goals on Saturday in the hammering, as Sam Toner (four) Daniel Toner (three) and Hayden Dwyer (two) all took advantage of a depleted Titans backline.
A five-goal-to-nil opening term set the scene for a tough day at the office for Berwick Springs, and the pain was compounded by 17 unanswered goals, from early in the second term to midway through the last.
The Titans managed just one goal in the opening three quarters before Jake Whittingham and Mitchell Gibson registered majors in the final quarter, unable to harness the momentum built through last week’s stirring win over Olinda Ferny Creek.
To put the scoreline into context, 156 points is the highest score of any side in Premier Division this season and 130 points is the largest margin, while 26 points is the second-lowest score of the season – the lowest also came against Narre Warren, from Emerald back in round two.
The offence stands out, but the Magpies back six, led by new captain Joel Zietsman, is conceding a league-best 45.3 points per game, nearly two goals better than the next tightest, in Woori Yallock.
Senior midfielders Tom Toner and Kurt Mutimer controlled proceedings in the middle for the Magpies, while Michael Misso, Matt Soutter-Smith and Aidan Nelson impressed for the Titans on a tough afternoon.
Officer’s first venture away from home in three weeks proved to be an unsuccessful outing, unable to topple Olinda Ferny Creek in Olinda.
The Bloods got home by 23 points, 9.7 61 to 5.8 38, a win set up by a strong second term.
The home side kicked 4.4 to Officer’s 1.1, and in a 23-point game, it will be a quarter that the Kangaroos will come to regret.
Should they mount a run at the finals in 2024, these contests against sides near them on the table are the ones they need to collect four points from.
Jake Gains and Brenton Hillard continue to go toe-to-toe for recruit of the year supremacy with more strong performances in blue and white, with half backs Kyle Hagger and James Makrodimitris also solid for the visitors.
Emerald, meanwhile, did its chances of remaining in the top division no favours in a 31-point loss to Monbulk at home.
Monbulk entered the contest as the only side yet to taste victory in 2024 and walked away from Chandler Reserve with scratchy vocal chords following the 15.8 98 to 9.13 67 result.
Its win sees them jump Emerald and Berwick Springs on percentage into 10th, and returns all bottom three sides to a level playing field in the wins column.
Emerald have been perennially slow starters in 2024 and its lethargy out of the gates came back to bite them again in the loss, trailing by 22 points at the first break after conceding five consecutive goals in the first term, as part of a run out eight answered in the first half.
Ben Lewis and Jack McGough each kicked a pair of goals as recruits Jake Cawsey, Steven Kapahnke and Ewan Wadsworth continue to justify their recruitment.
Upwey Tecoma, meanwhile, recovered from an 18-point deficit to defeat Mt Evelyn by 43 points, kicking 13 goals to three after quarter time.
