Casey Cardinia League match of the day – round 18

DOVETON shook off a fortnight of turmoil, together with a fast-finishing Berwick, to finish the home-and-away season as undefeated minor premiers and 2009 flag favourites on Saturday.
The three-point win at the Robinson Reserve was a triumph for both the senior side and the club with players wearing a one-off specially designed heritage jumper as a final acknowledgment of its 50-year celebration season before next week’s finals begin.
A devastating seven-goal-to-nil third term put predictions of internal disharmony to the sword and re-established the Doves’ aura of invincibility that saw them win 14 games and draw two without one player being reported or sent from the field over the past 18 weeks of competition.
Whether they can maintain that momentum in the next four weeks will be the premiership-deciding factor.
Doveton fielded close to its best side with the return of rover Michael Henry and spearhead Danny Casset and opened the game with the aid of a strong wind to the Princes Highway end of the ground.
The first term was a scrappy affair with the Doves obviously rusty and Berwick applying pressure at every stoppage.
The home side led by 10 points at the first change of ends and that proved insufficient as the Wickers upped their work rate through midfielders Andrew Tuck, Jason Rahilly and Paul VanSchilt, to pile on seven goals to two and take a handy 21-point lead and plenty of momentum into the half-time interval.
However, the Doves regrouped at the break and came out with intent in the third term.
Ryan Hendy worked his way on top in the midfield, along with Henry and Aaron Henwood, while Casset and captain Justin Hill created a dangerous two-pronged attack kicking goals and leading the Doves back into the game.
A huge hit by Berwick star Jason Heath on Dove youngster Ryan Morrison during the third quarter lifted the Doves even higher and when Hill goaled at the 16-minute mark of the term, the Doves reclaimed the lead and were not headed again.
After booting seven unanswered majors, Doveton led by 25 points at the final change, but the Wickers responded with the wind and continued to come at the home side.
A great VanSchilt goal reduced the margin to 10 points with eight minutes to play and then Grant Noonan gained one of his few possessions for the day to goal and make it only two points the difference with a minute left on the clock.
But the Doves held firm and competed a wonderful home-and-away season without a loss.
It was an even effort from the Doves, but Hill’s four goals, together with his work in the midfield, was outstanding, while Russell Gabriel and star defender Ricky Hayes were also in great touch.
Assistant coach Clint Wilson acknowledged that the effects of an off-field incident at a social event two weeks ago had been felt, but said that was now history and the focus was now simply on one thing.
“Things did drop off last week, but it picked up on Thursday and everyone started to get back into football again,” he said.
“We had a slow start, but we were better in the second half by a mile.
“We started to play for each other a lot more like we have all year and the unity came back.
“You could hear people talking and encouraging and the passion came back. That was my main message at half time – get that back. When one bloke goes for the footy there has to be three or four with him. That’s how we’ve done it all year and that’s how we will continue to do it.”
On the coming finals campaign, Wilson said the message was simple.
“That season is over and a new season starts,” he said.
“When it comes to finals, it’s completely different and that’s our focus. I would like to have won a bit easier than we did, but we still won it and we’ve earned the week’s rest.”
For Berwick big men Andrew Morozoff and Brett Robinson were in fine form, however Robinson’s brother Dale injured a shoulder and is doubtful for next week’s final.
Coach Glenn Dale said some loose checking late in the game had been costly, but there were some positives to come out of the effort.
“We got found out a little bit in the last quarter. A few of our guys just didn’t tighten up their tags on Hill and Hendy when they needed to,” he said.
“I thought they were a bit down today, but we’ve been down too and we did come back fairly well from last week.
“Look it’s disappointing to lose because I thought we played well enough to win it, but we took it up to the top side again so that was a positive with the finals ahead.
“It was good to get the run into ‘Heater’ (Jason Heath). He’s probably in our best one or two players, so we have to play him around where the ball is and he started to get some touch back after a four-week lay-off.”