Power takes charge

By Marc McGowan
GIPPSLAND Power announced itself as a legitimate premiership contender with a 79-point humiliation of an undermanned Oakleigh Chargers’ line-up in Morwell on Sunday.
A 10-goal second quarter was the key to victory as the Power’s representative stars went on a rampage in setting up a match-winning 69-point half-time advantage.
Ed Carr (25 possessions) was best afield in a consummate midfield performance, but tall forward John Butcher’s brilliant display was the talk of the game.
Butcher booted four goals to half-time, despite the Chargers continually double-teaming him.
The likes of Tim Northe and Kele Asa Leausa, who combined for seven majors, were only too happy to accept the crumbs on the rare occasions Butcher didn’t haul the ball in.
His tally could have been much more by game’s end, but for wayward goalkicking that saw him miss all but one of his six shots in the second half.
Coach Damian Carroll admitted to being excited as he watched his side rack up 15 goals in the opening two quarters.
Carroll also said it would take ‘something miraculous’ for his team to miss September action from here.
“We can start talking about finals now … we’ve given ourselves a chance and it’s in our hands now to make the top four,” he said.
“We’ve just got to make sure we keep our nose to the grindstone and really work hard over the next couple of weeks with the bye.
“It’s important for us to make sure we stay focused because we didn’t come back that well after the last bye … it’s a big challenge for us.”
The signs were bad early for the visitors, with Gippsland ruckman Nathan Vardy not only dominating the centre hit-outs, but also establishing a strong presence around the ground.
The Power responded with five of the six majors in the first quarter as Butcher and Dean Woodhead dominated the 50m arc.
But nothing could have prepared Oakleigh for Gippsland’s second-term onslaught.
Co-captains Carr and Koby Stevens (27) benefited from Vardy’s great work in the middle to repeatedly send the Power forward.
Two opportunistic majors to Northe started the scoring and back-to-back goals to Butcher saw the lead surge past 50.
Defender Nick Sing kicked his fourth major of the season in between his two team-mates’ efforts following some slick ball movement.
Chargers Dom Tyson and Stuart Johns momentarily stopped the bleeding before Asa Leausa, debutant Kane McCarthy, Mitch Dowse (30), Jed Lamb and Asa Leausa, again, added further Gippsland goals.
Russell Lehman’s exquisite kicking skills were on display in the opening minute of the third quarter as he slotted a tough shot from the boundary.
But a McCarthy turnover in defence sparked some resistance from Oakleigh and it managed three of the next four majors.
Carr was one of the few Power players to maintain his work-rate, but the hosts wound up losing the term – much to Carroll’s chagrin.
Gippsland improved in the final quarter in booting five goals to the Chargers’ three, but was unable to recapture its brilliance from the opening half.
Carroll was thrilled with Carr’s performance after a couple of ‘quieter’ games, but said eradicating his team’s mid-game lapses was still a work-in-progress.
“It is tough (maintaining a certain standard after such a good first half) and that’s why we try and break it down,” he said.
“But it’s also full credit to Oakleigh because they kept (fighting) and we did throw a few guys around today.”
The Power has the bye this weekend and the competition takes a break the week after.
Gippsland resumes against fellow top-four side the Dandenong Stingrays at Shepley Oval on Saturday, 15 August at 2pm.