Leader News|
The Casey Cardinia league powerhouses squared off in front of a bumper crowd that braved a chilly July evening.
For three quarters it was a tense, tight struggle, the dewy night making things difficult for anyone who didn't have the cleanest of hands.
It was the type of football any traditionalist would lap up, with plenty of biffo, on the ground and in the stands.
But the floodgates unexpectedly opened after the final break and Narre Warren took its game to another level, slaughtering the Eagles in a performance that cements the Magpies as the undoubted best in the competition.
The Eagles led at half time, before Narre's supremacy kicked in, taking a 22-point lead into the final break.
It didn't look like a winning lead, with the feeling among the Eagles' faithful that they would battle back, but the Magpies were too good, piling on eight goals to one to run out 65-point winners, 19.11 (125) to 8.12 (60).
"I didn't see that coming," Narre coach Chris Toner said.
"There wasn't a lot in it at three-quarter-time, although we were pretty content with where we were at.
"We've got a belief our fitness is better than other clubs' and that proved true to get us over the line."
Kane Baskaya booted six for the winners, while Michael Collins, young buck Dylan Quirk, Nick Scanlon and Josh Tonna booted two each in a well-rounded performance.
For the Eagles, only Marc Holt, Matt Fletcher and Justin Berry, with two each, hit the scoreboard hard. Stuart Morrish was brilliant in a losing effort.
Toner said there was a "general dislike" between the arch rivals, but praised the Eagles for their attack on the ball early in the match.
"We've been at top for a long time, we're the two best sides in the competition, and there's a big rivalry," he said.
"We're both proud clubs and neither wants to give an inch.
"The first half was extreme physical.
"I thought they played exceptionally well and, to be fair, we don't get that kind of contest every week.
"We've won 27 games in a row now, so it's not easy to produce your best form when you're not getting that sort of contest every week.
"They threw everything at us, we knew we were in a tough fight."
Tonna and Kane Baskaya were outstanding for the Magpies, as was the ever-consistent Collins, but it was 19-year-old Ryan Morrison's blanketing effort on Cranbourne spearhead Holt that had everyone talking.
"That's a fantastic effort,'' Toner said.
Cranbourne acting president Shane Baker said the Eagles went into the game full off confidence, but were outclassed by the Magpies after half time.
"In first half we went out to 20-point lead at one point, but we knew Narre would battle back," Baker said.
"We thought maybe the game would go in waves, the third belonged to Narre and in the last we were a real chance, but it just didn't turn out that way.
"The class of Narre shone through and our boys might have put the cue in the rack late, allowing them to blow out the margin."
Baker said the Eagles "knew" they could match it with the Magpies, but needed to play their best footy to do so.
"That makes Narre red hot favourites and takes the pressure off us a bit," he said.
"We can go away now and I'm sure we can improve and bridge that gap."
He said, despite the result, the club was pleased with the crowd of over 1500.
"It was a great atmosphere and we were thrilled," he said.
"There was only one small incident, but generally the crowd behaviour was exceptional."
Baker said members of the crowd were ejected from the ground after a scuffle during the match.
"We escorted the guys out who were at fault and everyone went back to enjoying the game of footy," he said.
"It was nothing more than people getting caught up in the moment."
Despite the crushing victory, Toner said his charges were not "resting on our laurels".
"We've won the last five games against them, but we certainly don't think that we're over the line or anything like that," he said.
"That's not the way it is.
"We need to work harder again and separate ourselves from the competition.
"The boys have got their eyes on the prize and that's what they're chasing."
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