By Brad Kingsbury
ACCURACY at goal has been an issue over recent weeks at Pakenham and despite dominating Devon Meadows on Saturday, the Lions’ return of 12.26 was again unsatisfactory.
The Panthers used flooding tactics on the big Toomuc Reserve and the game did not reach any great heights, but Lions coach Michael Holland said his players’ disposal did not help their cause.
“It was very ordinary. We probably put a bit of pressure on ourselves after our kicking (at goal) in the last couple of weeks, but it was a disappointing result,” he said.
Experienced forward Simon Ponter was one of the main culprits booting 1.8 while several others also missed shots they should have nailed in the perfect football conditions. The Lions led by seven points at the first break and extended the advantage at every subsequent change of end, but Holland said a vast improvement of both style and skills would be required to match the competition’s better sides.
“I wasn’t happy with the way we played at all,” he said. “I would have been happier for us to have won by 20 points and played the way we want to play, but then again your opposition has a bit to do with that.”
Pakenham was without a number of players including injured pair Stuart Burridge and Seb Paynter, but was still clearly the better side on the day.
Holland was critical of the flooding tactics employed against his team and was direct when asked if he believed some sides were trying to minimise losing margins rather than win games.
“Yes, I think they are,” he said. “The AFL started this flooding and it’s stuffing the local game up now.
“Devon Meadows had two blokes back at the start of the game and I don’t think it’s teaching them anything. Unless sides are both going out to win it just becomes negative and stuffs the whole game up.
“Don’t get me wrong though, I’ll take a 70point win any time.”
THE demon of a onepoint loss to Cranbourne last year, that ended up costing ROC a place in the 2005 finals, was put to rest with an emphatic 55point win at Casey Fields.
The Kangaroos hit the big ground running and made a mess of the home team in the first 30 minutes, booting eight goals to two and taking a 38point lead into the first break. Cranbourne players demonstrated their character by staging a comeback in the second quarter (something that it has failed to do in similar situations in recent seasons) however it still trailed by seven points at halftime and was a spent force after that.
ROC coach Hayden Stanton was livid with his players at halftime and said he let them know all about it.
“I nearly popped a blood vessel, I gave it to them that hard at half time. The second quarter was just terrible and they deserved it,” he said.
“The response to that was good in the second half, but they make it so hard for themselves sometimes.”
After the long break Kangaroos including Brad Jones, Clint Williams and Callum White took control and, with Ben Waite blanketing Cranbourne star Marc Holt, ROC steadied to add eight goals to its opponent’s one in the second half. Stanton’s side enters this weekend’s bye six points clear in fourth position and was satisfied with the positive start to the season.
“We always knew this was a danger game for us and it was good to get it out of the way,” he said. “We will start again now.”
On the negative side, ROC hard man Craig Eagleton injured a shoulder and might miss the next game.
DINGLEY is down and as good as out after Narre Warren pummelled the hapless visitors into submission by 256 points.
The Magpies had 66 shots at goal to Dingley’s three and star forwards Lee Clark and Brett Evans shared 20 majors between them, in an afternoon of football that did no good for either side or the Casey Cardinia League.
The Dingoes are shot and scored its only goal for the game in the second term when Jason Rahilly kicked accurately in an otherwise bleak day.
At the other end, the Magpies were lining up with 12 of their players booting majors and every player having his share of the ball.
Coach Aussie Jones returned to the side after an ankle injury, but had a relatively quiet afternoon, while the downside of the Magpies’ day was a knee injury sustained by assistant coach and star defender Steven Kidd.
Kidd was on crutches after the game, but was not sure how bad the damage was and will have scans during the week. Kidd said the game was little more than a training drill with Dingley unable to counter the Magpies in any way and he questioned whether the Dingoes would be able to see out the season.
“They are really struggling,” he said.
“It was pretty much a non event. It’s a worry for them because, in their case, who wants to stick around and get flogged like that every week?”
