Power playmaker Tyson Goldsack from Pakenham shows desperation to get the ball on Saturday.THE vagaries of the TAC Cup were in evidence at Morwell last weekend when Gippsland Power took on the Sandringham Dragons. The Dragons had been in great form recently as they were able to select their private schoolbased players and had shown great form against good sides.
The Power, in stark contrast, was still without AllAustralian players Hansen and Eddy as well as Ryan, Delphine and Ross, who were being rested after the national championships.
The Power opened brightly and served notice early it was taking no prisoners. They applied the blowtorch to the Dragons and had them on the back foot from the opening bounce. Brent Macaffer was the target up forward with three firstquarter majors while Ben Hughes was on fire at centre halfforward. Marc Truscio sneaked in for a typically clever goal and by the first break they led by 32 points and had shown they were going to contest every issue fiercely.
In the second term the Dragons hit back but good handball set up Kane Martin and then Ben Hughes scored himself and then set up Jackson Hall. Lazy Power defence allowed the Dragons a miracle goal and by the long break the Power lead was back to 23 points.
The Power came out for the second half with outstanding teamoriented football. Tyson Goldsack opened the rush and Hughes and Macaffer added two each, while Shane Macintosh, Michael Todd, Marc Truscio and Martin joined in. The Dragons scored four goals to keep the Power honest but they were against the run of play and the Power were 48 points up at the last change and had the game in the bag.
In the last term the Power still controlled the momentum and kept trying to play the quick, long and direct football that suited Hughes and Macaffer so well in the first three terms. Jaymie Youle kicked the Power’s goal of the season with dash, skill and typical determination and this effectively took the sting out of the contest. Hall bobbed up for two majors while Jack Bailey finished off a positive forward thrust to allow the Power to push the winning margin out to 61 points by the final siren.
The Power has six more players set to wear the coveted big V, Nick Heyne (Orbost), Darren White and Jarrod Raun (Traralgon), Jared Risol (Newborough), Brenton Rathnow (Maffra) and Tom Crosby (Hill End) all being selected to go to Brisbane with the state under16 side at the end of the month.
Scores: Gippsland Power 21.9.135 d Sandringham Dragons 11.8.74.
Goals: Brent Macaffer 5, Ben Hughes 4, Jackson Hall 3, Kane Martin, Marc Truscio 2, Tyson Goldsack, Shane Macintosh, Michael Todd, Jack Bailey, Jaymie Youle 1.
Best: James Blaser, Ben Hughes, Jaymie Youle, Tom Johnson, Brent Macaffer, Rob Michaelides, Brent Connelly.
