CaseyCardinia reserves

By Brad Kingsbury
AFTER dominating the homeandaway season and going through undefeated, Hampton Park fell short of Narre Warren by 12 points in a dour second semifinal at Berwick.
A strong crosswind, coupled with a stopstart style of game, combined to make the spectacle less than impressive but, despite that, the Redbacks looked capable of breaking free at any minute.
That was the general opinion after the first term, when the Redbacks led by 17 points and looked to have Narre Warren’s measure.
However, the Magpies lifted with regular senior players including Michael McGill and Jack McTaggart playing well, and only one point separated the sides at halftime.
The Magpies were relentless after the long break and tackled hard, forcing turnovers and uncharacteristic fumbling from the top side.
Narre Warren led by 14 points at the final change and maintained an advantage throughout the final term to win its way into the 2006 grand final.
Hampton Park will meet Doveton in the preliminary final after the Doves got over Berwick by 29 points in Sunday’s first semifinal.
The Wickers launched a big finalterm charge after the Doves had dominated the game and the scoreboard all day, and got to within six points late in the game.
However, Doveton rallied and booted two late goals to end Berwick’s season and earn a spot in next week’s penultimate game for 2006.
Peter Pullen, Rohan Scott and Steven Wulf were among the Doves best, while Jarrod Tonks, Brad Miles and Sam Bennett battled it out for Berwick.