Narre Warren defender Jarrod Anderson has developed into one of the league’s best running backpocket players and was among his side’s better players against Doveton on Saturday.By Brad Kingsbury
NARRE Warren coach Aussie Jones said his side’s brilliant 30point victory over nemesis Doveton in front of a huge crowd on Saturday showed his players’ resolve in their quest for a tilt at a longawaited flag.
The significance of the weekend result was huge, virtually assuring both combatants a topthree finish, but also leaving Pakenham two games clear in top position.
The Magpies were without injured captain Brett Evans, star midfielder Michael Collins and assistant coach Steven Kidd, but were boosted by the return of Jones and the inclusion of VFL listed player (with Geelong) Jason Davenport, who dominated.
The Doves were close to full strength, but suffered two telling blows before halftime with gameending injuries to playmaker Matt Miller and captain Clint Wilson, together with another jolt when full back Brad Downe left the ground at the start of the final term with a hamstring complaint.
The skill level and intensity was toplevel from the first bounce and both sides played exciting and attacking football with neither giving the other an easy possession.
The Magpies led by four points at quartertime and probably should have been further in front after having the majority of the play.
The difference was onepoint Doveton’s way at the main break, but the Magpies lifted their workrate in the third term and kicked away to a fourgoal lead before it was pegged back to nine points at threequarter time.
Narre Warren lifted again and with Davenport dominating the clearances along with his partner Ricky Clark, the home side slammed on seven goals to four to end the game and dispatch the hoodoo of having lost to the Doves every time since 2001.
Jones acknowledged the significance of the win afterwards, but said, in the scheme of the season, it was only another four points.
“I didn’t address (the poor recent record against Doveton), but Glenn Hamilton did speak to the side about it before the game and they said they had the confidence in each other to come out and believe that they could beat Doveton,” he said.
“We just want to finish top three but, mentally to the players, I think this win was important.”
Jones was happy to get through the match himself and said the emphasis now will centre on having every player at his peak in the next few weeks.
“The guys are training the house down and the challenge is to translate that to the game on Saturdays,” he said.
“We spoke about belief during the week and where we’ve had five or six blokes putting their hands up in the last two weeks today we had 21 and that’s a good sign.”
Doveton coach Stephen Henwood said that, despite top efforts from Justin Hill, Peter Pullen, Daryl Thomas and Brad Downe, his side had too many passengers and that was a critical problem against top opposition.
“There were no beg pardons out there. We had a few wounded, but so did they and in the end they were sharper and they deserved the win,” he said.
“I was very pleased with our tackling, but I think they were the best side and it was a bit flattering for us to still be as close as we were.”
