The Courier |
BALLARAT proved too accomplished for Sebastopol in wet conditions at Alfredton Oval, with a 102-point victory on Saturday.
BALLARAT 19.20 (134)
SEBASTOPOL 3.10 (28)
The Swans were much more adept at handling the wet ball than the Kookaburras, winning 19.20 (134) to 3.10 (28).
However, Sebastopol added some respectability to the scoreboard with a fighting last quarter, where the Kookaburras kicked two goals.
The victory sees the Swans move to three wins from six matches.
Sebastopol struggled all the way through the first two quarters, with their half-time score sitting at 1.4 (10).
Ballarat's upper hand could not be denied after they kicked two goals in the first two minutes of the game, with Christopher Procter, Nigel Otto and Braeden Deary proving the most instrumental in this department throughout the day.
After a deluge of rain the night before, the wet and heavy ground appeared to be no dampener to the highly organised Swans they seemed to play a dry weather game amid the drizzle.
In contrast, the conditions noticeably took their toll on the Kookaburras from the onset.
Sebastopol did manage to recharge in the second half of the game with much improved organisation, including some well-placed goals from Bradley Carrigg and Michael Powell.
This boosted the team's overall performance, but the many poor decisions and turnovers cost them heavily.
Throughout the game, the Kookaburras allowed the Swans too many uncontested kicks and too much room to move, but the height advantage of the Ballarat team likely had something to do with this.
In the final quarter of the game, Ballarat's constant and close teamwork created an impenetrable half back line that restricted the Kookaburra's ability to build on their somewhat improved team work and co-ordination.
Swans playing coach Ash Barker was more than happy to see his team play so well.
"The guys maintained consistent pressure throughout the game; they were always well composed with the ball," he said.
