Pies poleaxe Eagles

By Brad Kingsbury
BEACONSFIELD was ‘out-youthed’ by Narre Warren at the Perc Alison Oval on Saturday, with the fit, young Magpies throwing caution to the wind and bolting away to record a 92-point win.
Opposing coaches Matt Shinners and Robbie Taylor put all their faith in the emerging young players with both sides dominated by products of their under-18 development squads, but it was the Magpies who rose to the required level on the day.
A disappointed Taylor acknowledged that afterwards.
“They were too classy and too quick and when they got their tails up they played good footy,” he said.
“It’s hard to pinpoint what went wrong. They are young and enthusiastic, but we’re pretty similar and we haven’t got too many excuses.”
Shinners started captain Glenn Hamilton, who had been playing in the midfield, at half-back and sent experienced defender Steven Kidd to Eagles match-winner Andrew Williams.
Both moves worked well, but left Brett Evans looking like a kindergarten teacher surrounded by his students at full-forward.
After an evenly fought first quarter the sting went out of the home side and Beaconsfield piled on eight goals to one to take a 55-point lead into the half-time break.
Magpie playmaker Daniel Borninkhof continued his interleague form with a dominant game through the midfield, while young gun Nathan Brewster created a damaging target in attack.
The Eagles missed key forward Lachlan Oakley who is out for up to six matches after a thumb operation, but the difference in intensity at the ball was the key and that continued after the long break with the Eagles’ impotency in attack becoming a telling factor.
Narre Warren finished the game full of running with six goals to three in the final term and secured a top five spot with the effort.
Eagles Kane Airdrie and Jack Benbow tried hard all day, but had few mates and Taylor was critical of his team’s discipline and ability to heed instructions and concentrate on team rules.
“We have to get back to basics, but I don’t think we’re world beaters to be honest,” he lamented.
“When we’re on our game we’re okay, but when we’re not we get blown away and that’s a real concern. We need a lot of improvement.”
The mood in the Magpies camp was upbeat and Shinners was particularly happy with the way his players had reacted to their loss to Cranbourne a fortnight earlier.
“We were back to playing some good footy and that was pleasing after our effort against Cranbourne,” he said. “Our speed, tackle pressure and body pressure was really good for four quarters. From the outset we were on our game and it was a very pleasing effort.”
Borninkhof was named best afield, while Brewster finished the day with five goals.