KANGAROO Flat emphatically re-launched its 2010 Bendigo Bank BFNL season with an all-the-way 25-point win over a sluggish Maryborough at Dower Park on Saturday night.
Sparked by experienced centreman Cameron Carter and dashing young players Jack Bowyer and Carl Thiesz, the Roos led at every change on their way to a 14.18 (102) to 11.11 (77) victory.
Maryborough's bigger bodies didn't faze the young, lighter-framed Roos. The home team withstood a furious late first quarter charge from the Magpies and re-established their supremacy as the match wore on.
Maryborough coach Shane Fisher was blunt in his assessment of his charges.
"At the moment I think we are just pretenders. Early on (in the season) we outran Sandhurst and from that everyone's got a bit slack around the place.
"We're kidding ourselves as a whole group if we think we're any good at the moment," a visibly disappointed Fisher said.
The Roos were deadly accurate with the pink football at the Station Street end in the first quarter. Early on Justin Maddern booted three of his six goals for the night, one of them 55 metres out from the boundary line adjacent to the Maryborough coaches' box.
The Magpies could not buy a goal. They had six behinds on the board before Jayden Hind took a huge mark and converted at the scoreboard end 22 minutes into the term.
Glenn Chadwick and Matt Brown (2) added three more goals for the Pies as the quarter wound down. Brown's second shot sailed through as the quarter-time siren sounded.
The Roos led by just five points at the first change, but their more direct football paid dividends as the match wore on.
Even two goals from Maryborough's big Matt Bond couldn't stop the Roos. Carter kept on collecting possessions as a floating half-forward and when cult figure and reserves skipper Zac Mona nailed a major from straight in front, the home crowd erupted.
Late Kangaroo Flat goals to Shannon Geary with a 55 metre barrel punt, Ryan McNish with a raking shot from the caravan park flank and Maddern from point blank range handed the home side a 24-point buffer at the long break.
The Magpies needed a spark early in the third term. It seemed as though Lachlan Woodward might provide it when he booted Maryborough's eighth goal from the Tabaret flank.
When Bodie Malone cut the margin to 13 points with a running goal, the Roos grip on the game appeared shaky.
But the young Green and Whites responded. Dylan Clohesy was steady in defence, marking strongly and chopping off Magpie forward thrusts.
Goals to Maddern and Carter extended Flat's advantage to 28 points close to three-quarter time and the Magpies' charge evaporated.
The Roos played out time in the final quarter and added only 1.4 to Maryborough's 2.2. Indeed when Maddern left-footed through a high up-and-under shot from a goalmouth scramble the Roos had posted 8.17 from quarter-time.
It didn't matter that Darcy Richards, moved forward from his defensive role on Maddern, got a late Magpie goal. The Roos were home and still in contention for a spot in the BFNL's top five.
Maryborough's gun midfielder and half-back Matt Johnston looked under-done while another experienced Magpie defender in Cam Skinner was hardly sighted.
Flat coach Murray Collins said it was essential his players played with conviction in the second half after collapsing a week earlier at Strathfieldsaye.
"We focused on getting off to a good start in the third term. When they got those two quick goals the old doubts sort of crept in. But we knuckled down and got back on the job," he said.
Collins said Brenton McKenry had carried out a fine run-with role on speedy Jayden Hind, shutting him down, while Daniel Arnold had kept dangerous Magpie midfielder Martin Dell very quiet and kicked a goal himself.
Maryborough's Fisher said even though his players' accountability was well down there were a "couple of bright spots."
"Young Jake Bucknall played his first BFL game coming in from bush footy and ran to all the right spots. And Liam Belcher had a run-with role on Geary and did a fantastic job."
KANGAROO FLAT 6.1 11. 8 13.14 14.18 (102)
MARYBOROUGH 4.8 7.8 9.9 11.11 (77)
GOALS --- Kangaroo Flat: Justin Maddern 6, Ryan McNish 2, Shannon Geary 2, Cameron Carter 2, Daniel Arnold, Zak Mona. Maryborough: Matthew Brown 3, Jayden Hind 2, Matthew Bond 2, Bodie Malone, Darcy Richards, Lachlan Woodward, Glen Chadwick.
BEST --- Kangaroo Flat: Cameron Carter (best afield), Dylan Clohesy, Carl Thiesz, Jack Bowyer, Brenton McKenry, Nick Lang, Ryan McNish. Maryborough: Liam Belcher, Bodie Malone, Lachlan Woodward, Jayden Hind.
VOTES in Bendigo Advertiser Player of Year award
5: Cameron Carter (Kangaroo Flat)
4: Dylan Clohesy (Kangaroo Flat)
3: Jack Bowyer (Kangaroo Flat)
2: Carl Thiesz (Kangaroo Flat)
1: Liam Belcher (Maryborough)
By Richard Jones
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|