THE big upset of round 16 was the unexpected draw between undefeated top side Doveton and eighth-placed ROC at Starling Road on Saturday.
It was the second draw for the Doves this season, the first being in round-two with Devon Meadows in April.
The Kangaroos were coming off a 110-point belting and most expected them to cop another lesson from the rampant Doves, but coach Kris Fletcher and his players had other ideas.
Coming off a horrible demolition at the hands of Pakenham the week before, Fletcher and his players resolved never to be embarrassed like that again and proved that their words meant something.
ROC tried to limit the influence of running defenders Daryl Thomas and Brad Downe and created problems for the visitors out of the midfield with Greg and Ben Tivendale starting the game well.
Dove star Ryan Hendy played at full-forward in the continued absence of Danny Casset and was always dangerous, but the pressure applied by the Kangaroos was consistent and there was seldom more than a few points in the contest either way.
There was two points the difference in the Doves’ favour at the final change and the last quarter was among the most energy-sapping terms of the year for all.
It went goal for goal between patches of extreme pressure until Doveton midfielder Shannon Henwood levelled the scores with a behind from 30 metres with about three minutes to play.
Neither side could get the ball free in the tense finale until ROC big man Callum White, who started at full-back but went forward in the second half, had a shot from 50 metres out with five seconds left on the clock.
The ball dropped just short and Doveton ruckman Russell Gabriel punched it forward stopping any score as the siren sounded and players from both sides collapsed in exhaustion.
Hendy was brilliant in attack finishing with eight goals, while team-mates Ryan Pearson and Daniel Zarjac were also among the Doves best.
For ROC, nobody was better than White, who booted five majors after half-time and received great back up from Ben Johnson, Ash Comer and the Tivendale brothers.
Fletcher said the effort was a huge improvement on the previous week, but was still a little disappointed.
“We had a pretty tough week on the track and we also had a chat between ourselves and just said that we would not be humiliated like that again,” he said.“We had to lift our defensive pressure and work rate. It was pretty simple. Our pressure around the footy all day was really, really good. We were disappointed, but both sides had their chances to win it in the end.”
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Meadows monster Eagles
THE end of the season can not come soon enough for Beaconsfield.
A year that started with promise and anticipation of finals will end as another dismal failure to live up to expectations and that will grate on all at the Perc Alison Oval.
Saturday’s capitulation to Devon Meadows in front of their past players provided another source of embarrassment for coach Robbie Taylor and his players.
The Panthers were fighting to stave off bottom-ladder position and showed the type of desperation required in that situation. Sadly for Beaconsfield fans, their side did not.
From the first bounce Devon Meadows was on song, winning the ball in the midfield and sending it towards former Essendon star Aaron Henneman who took six contested marks against top Eagle defender Kane Airdrie in the first term.
The momentum of the game was set from that time on and there was always a four-to-five-goal buffer between the two sides from quarter-time on.
Beaconsfield ruckman Chris Kelf played a lone hand around the ground for his side and had support from coach Robbie Taylor and youngster Abe Roder, while star forward Andrew Williams booted four goals in a great duel with Panther star Daniel Rigg.
For the victors Russell White, who had not played football for four years until this season, was superb in defence, while Michael Bain, Jesse Dehey and Henneman, with five goals, were also in great nick.
Panthers’ coach Steve O’Brien was pleased with the effort and said his player simply followed instructions.
“An hour before the game I knew we were ready to play and we came out of the blocks firing,” he said.
“The way we played in the first quarter we would have been in front of every side in the competition.
“We focussed on applying pressure all week and when we do that we do it as well as anyone.”
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Redbacks rally
HAMPTON Park celebrated Saturday’s final game at the Booth Reserve for the year with a dominant eight-goal victory over Tooradin.
The game saw the four Fredericks brothers Brendan, Sheldon, Hayden and Linden line up in the same side for the first time together and the home crowd cheered as they led the Redbacks to victory and off the bottom of the Casey Cardinia League ladder.
Tooradin was without star ruckman Steve Arvanitis, who has walked out on the club, and the lack of direction out of the midfield was telling in the opening half.
While Seagull star Beau Miller was all class, despite some close attention from Nathan Dawes, the Redbacks maintained the momentum and led by eight points at half-time.
Tooradin came at the home side in the third term, but with Redbacks spearhead Kevin McLean on target, a three-goal burst just before three-quarter time saw the home side enter the break with a 20-point lead and all the momentum.
The floodgates opened in the final term and, despite some fine work from Tooradin sweeper Michael Hobbs and forward Rory Gilliatte, Hampton Park cruised home to a convincing win.
Coach Josh Taylor played in attack and finished with four goals, while McLean kicked five majors.
Matt Dixon, Sean Winsall and Dean Jamieson were also in good form and Taylor summed it up as an ‘on’ week afterwards.
“I said it was our up week and gee we played well,” he said. “We were all over them in the first half, but a five-minute lapse cost us three goals and they brought themselves back into it.
“We made some poor decisions at times, but once we got our heads up, we were not going to lose this game.”
