By Ken Moore
AS THE form book indicated, premiership aspirant Cora Lynn proved too strong for finals hopeful Kooweerup on Saturday, winning by 60 points.
Kicking with the aid of a three-to-four-goal wind in the opening term, the Cobras found their groove early and kicked six goals to race to a 35-point lead at quarter-time.
Three first-term goals by livewire small forward Anthony Giuliano and another two by Mornington recruit Ryan Gillis capped off good midfield work by coach Brendan Kimber, Jack Allen, Jordan Toole and Matt Robinson.
Kooweerup lifted in the second quarter and held its own but failed to make any inroads on the scoreboard and trailed by 34 points at the main break.
Cora Lynn continued to dictate play in the third quarter and with five more goals to the Demons’ two, the only interest in the last quarter was the final margin.
Kooweerup refused to throw in the towel and managed four last-quarter goals but it never posed a serious threat.
A feature of Cora Lynn’s game was its their regular ability to move the ball out of defence and carry it the length of the field with a chain of handballs. The Cobras applied good pressure and often forced the Demons into turning the ball over.
Giuliano went on to bag five goals and Ryan Gillis got three. Kimber, Allen and Robinson continued to dominate in the second half and when required Craig Taylor thwarted many Demon attacks in the line of defence and Michael Duiker, in his 100th game, gathered disposals all over the field.
For Kooweerup, centre-half-forward Ben Miller hauled in some strong marks and posed a problem for tight checking Cobra defender Tim Payne, especially in the first half.
Billy Willis provided a wall of resistance in defence and Ryan Wilby, Steven Greaves and Rhys Morgan all had a bustling presence midfield and up forward.
GARFIELD posted the highest score of the round and thrashed Buln Buln by 123 points.
The Stars held an 18-point lead at quarter-time but thereafter the Lyrebirds managed only a few sporadic attacks inside its attacking 50m zone.
Improving Stars defender Rick Kamphuis often blocked the opposition supply lines, Phil Burns and Ned Marsh showed their usual hardness at the ball and Luke Tynan, back from the Casey Scorpions, ran amok midfield.
Veteran sharpshooter Mal McKenna returned to the side and will be difficult to displace, having drilled through five majors and he also contributed several goal assists.
Good players were few and far between for Buln Buln. Luke Grabowski, Rick Hayes, Doug Black and debutant Joel Backman, who was a fringe player at Drouin two seasons ago, all tried hard in defence but were overwhelmed by wave after wave of attack from the more polished Stars.
NAR NAR GOON is knocking on the door of the top six after it crushed Ellinbank by 84 points. After an even first quarter, the Goon hit the go switch with a six-goal-to-one second quarter and thereafter never slackened.
The Goon had a smattering of good players led by midfielders Ben Keane and Dean Kelly, who regularly drove holes through a porous Eagles defence.
Behind the centre, Nick Henwood used the ball crisply and lent good support to Daniel Zajac and Matt Slattery, who both proved hard to penetrate.
Ruckman Paul Youle used his body strength well and provided the Goon smalls with plenty of feed and Luke McConnell and Shannon Stocco, four goals each, presented well.
Midfielder Josh Peterson was the pick of the Bankers and Andrew Quirk, Neal Parke and Ash Wallace provided much-needed stability at the back. Drouin recruit Brett Masterson and debutant Nick Pratt, son of coach Andrew, both sourced some handy possessions.
WARRAGUL Industrials creamed Lang Lang by 63 points. The result was an upset and the margin was even more staggering.
The Tigers entered the game in second spot on the ladder and had been one of the most consistent teams over the opening six weeks.
Clearly the round six bye did Lang Lang no favours. Industrial ruckman Stephen Pitt was a tower of strength and defenders Matt Willis and Russell Ware kept close tabs on their dangerous opponents, John Nicols and Kurt Batt.
Ruck-rover Chris Larosa and Shane Brewster won more than their fair share of the ball and Shane Ingham showed strong hands and scored five goals.
Adam Neal, in an uncustomary forward role, also made his presence felt in a top team effort. Lang Lang was well served by ruck rover Hadley Tomamichel, wingman Jake Dwyer, defender James Hawker and small forward Daniel Barwick.
AFTER a close first quarter, Bunyip got busy with six second-quarter goals and went on to thrash Nyora by 114 points. Robbie Hughes kicked seven goals and got a steady supply of the ball from Michael Laszczyk, Callum Pattie, Nick Visser, Jeb McLeod and Michael Whyte.
Steve Berryman, Aaron Henwood and Michael Davies held the Bulldogs defence together. Bunyip is playing with plenty of self-assurance and is now firmly entrenched in the top six.
Nyora ruckman Nick Fairbank was handy around the throw-ins and stoppages, wingman Mick O’Flaherty earned his spot in the side, coach Corrie Wilson tried hard and Billy Hessells fared well at both ends of the ground.
POOWONG struggled to fend off the winless Nilma Darnum. Both teams went jab for jab until three-quarter-time when the Bombers trailed by only two points.
The Magpies finished a tad stronger and went on to record a 15-point victory. Ash Adams was the catalyst behind many forward thrusts and five goals by Magpie jack in the box Kael Bergles made the difference.
Ruckman Connor Cunningham did plenty of good things at ground level and Alex Rose, Daniel Watson and Dave Miller propped up the victors’ defence.
Nilma’s Papua New Guinean ruckman John Ikupu showed plenty of athleticism and the usual suspects Michael Mooney, James Hammill and Harley Lacunes took it up their opponents all afternoon. Wingman Jade Jensen and Garfield recruit Andrew Fyffe set up several forward moves.
