Right: Longwarry recruit Dean Dallinger has been a good pickup for the Crows this year. By Ken Moore
NAR Nar Goon’s season’s hopes nosedived after Longwarry comprehensively snapped the Goon’s twogame winning streak on Saturday.
The warning bells sounded early for the Goon when Crow goal sneak Luke Serong slotted home two goals inside the few two minutes. Regular centre halfback Dean Dallinger moved forward and notched six firsthalf goals to set up a matchwinning 76point lead by the main break.
Glenn Browney stalked the goals, converting nine to torment the young Goon defence. Halfback Mark Light hurled himself into the fray and centreman Matthew Campbell and young midfielders Brody Rundall and Tye Holland ran amok through the midfield.
The Goon put in a respectable second half but still went under by 112 points. For the Goon, Jason Rantall was in the thick of things all game and was lent good support by the young onball brigade of Matt Wade, Phil Hicks, Andrew Oldmeadow and forward Ben Keane.
Buln Buln’s season was at a critical juncture after it lost by 43 points to Catani. The Lyrebirds trailed by 56 points at threequarter time but produced a spirited comeback to creep within 24 points in the last quarter before the Blues steadied. Catani’s twopronged attack of John Entwisle, with eight goals, and Owen Fitzpatrick, with four goals, caused plenty of headaches for the Lyrebirds.
Burly Buln Buln full forward Matthew Gooden read play well and scored seven goals. Around the packs, ruckman Brad Peters, captain Brent Eastwell and defender Mick Pratt bored in all day, as did Paul Morrissey, who has returned to the club this season.
Catani’s muchvaunted midfield of Luke McFarlane, Josh Tymensen, Paul Alger and halfback Vince Meehl played a strong hand, creating opportunities for their forwards.
Cora Lynn had to work hard to shrug off a defiant Poowong. The Cobras ran out 48point winners but the margin flattered Cora Lynn, as the difference was only 12 points midway through the last term before the Cobras finished with the last five goals of the game.
Jeremy Duiker returned to form with five goals, Abe Rode, Scott Black, Chad Ingram, Lee Dowsett, Ben Collins and Michael Duiker were busy through the middle and Justin Olsson solidified the defence with a tight game on Magpie star Luke James, who was restricted to three goals.
Poowong suffered a major blow when its gun recruit and assistant coach Rohan Best had to leave the field with a hamstring injury in the second quarter after scoring two goals. The Cobra defence of Mark Hutchison, Darren Motton and Christopher Wilson offered stout resistance, onballer Clint Newcombe was lively and Tony Blackwood made his presence felt across the forward line.
Nyora trampled all over NeerimNeerim South to record another huge victory, this week by 192 points. The Saints blew the Cats away with a 16goal first half to take an unassailable 81point lead into halftime.
Captaincoach Dean Alger, in the absence of Nathan Osler, was at his wily best and bagged nine goals and was lent good support by Korumburra recruit Tim Smith with five. The Saints had 11 individual goalkickers in another commanding performance to hold top place on the ladder.
The most promising sign to emerge for the Cats was the form of its three 16yearolds, defender Brodie Hatswell, halfback Sam Reid and wingman Tyler Eastwood, who all won plenty of possessions and refused to be overawed by their far more experience opponents.
Bunyip was given a scare by Warragul Industrials. The Dusties only trailed by six points at the last change but lost its grip on the game after Bunyip outscored Warragul five goals to one in the last term to win by 34 points.
Clint Meyer, Ray Ablett and Troy Holmes all played an instrumental role driving the ball forward and defenders Jack Fitzpatrick and Paul Hynes played with cool authority when under pressure. For the Dusties, Shane Ingram, Damian Dawson and Jason Kennedy won a stack of possessions and defenders Matthew Willis, Dave Bracken and Braeden Meade all performed capably.
Three goals in the first quarter by Cranbourne recruit Adrian Slater set Lang Lang up for its second victory of the season after it accounted for NilmaDarnum by 53 points. The Tiger midfield of Alex Sarakin, Jack Fulton and Adam Baxter proved to slick for the NilmaDarnum midfield and 16yearold ruckman Sam Cole, who came on in the second quarter, acquitted himself well on debut.
For the Bombers, defender Ren Wyatt was again a shining light and the former Drouin utility will go close to winning the Bombers’ best and fairest this season.
Kooweerup arrested its form slump with a 75point victory over an injurydepleted Ellinbank. The signs were good early for the Bankers after they raced to an 18point lead but after quartertime it was pretty much oneway traffic as the Demon midfield of Josh Winter, Peter Doll, John Stanley, Rod Hoober, Rhys Morgan and Ben Miller proceeded to dominate in and around he middle, throwins and stoppages.
Brad McPherson proved a thorn in the side of the Bankers’ defence with six goals and Scott Morrison was a focal target all match both in the air and at ground level. For Ellinbank, Toby and Ash Wallace and Peter Joyce won plenty of possessions around the packs and in defence Jason Hill and Neal Parke offered plenty of resistance.
