Power overpowered

By Marc McGowan
TOO strong. Too fit. Too good.
The visiting Gold Coast overran a tiring Gippsland Power by 17 points to end the latter’s five-match winning streak on the large expanses of Princes Park on Sunday.
The Power led for most of the day, but coach Damian Carroll believes the signs were there as early as the second term that the Coasters would outlast his side.
An eight-goal-to-three second half in favour of the Gold Coast confirmed his suspicions.
“They were pretty good and were attacking hard and looked to be hanging in there, even though we were up by 16 points at half-time,” Carroll said.
“They got a bit of momentum in the third quarter and we were hoping we’d find something in the last quarter, but we had nothing left – the legs wouldn’t go.
“The Gold Coast was strong and hard all day and certainly played some good footy and was obviously a bit too strong in the end.”
The result elevated the Coasters to second place on the TAC Cup ladder and relegated Gippsland to fourth.
The Power faces a do-or-die final-round clash against bottom-side Sandringham this weekend to hold on to its top-four spot.
The Dragons won their fourth match of the season last weekend over the eighth-placed Murray Bushrangers and will be a dangerous opponent.
Gippsland regained the services of John Butcher and Dale Hoghton from their respective injuries and Vic Country under-16 rising star Hayden Hector made his debut.
Butcher was prominent early, kicking a goal of his own and setting another up as the Power, despite losing the clearances, established a 10-point lead into the breeze in the first term.
The potential top-five AFL draft pick slotted a second major to open the scoring in the second quarter and partner-in-crime Jed Lamb, Gippsland’s leading goalkicker, also added his second.
But the Power was unable to claim full benefit from the wind because of the Gold Coast’s relentless pressure and entered the long break with just a 16-point advantage.
The Coasters stormed to the front after kicking four of the first five goals in the third term before Gippsland co-captains Ed Carr (22 disposals) and Koby Stevens combined to set up Butcher for his third of the day.
The Power led by three points at three-quarter-time, but Gold Coast had all the momentum and the game threatened to blow out when the Coasters scored four unanswered majors.
But Lamb kicked a consolation goal in the dying stages to save some face for Gippsland.
Defenders Dyson Heppell (30) and Luke Tynan and ruckman Nathan Vardy (16 and 24 hit-outs) were the Power’s best, while Nick Sing and Jack Weston also worked hard.
Dean Woodhead became the third player to bring up his 50th game for Gippsland behind former North Melbourne best-and-fairest winner Troy Makepeace and Tim Trail.
Carroll said his team’s top-four hopes were in the players’ hands.
“We have another good challenge against Sandy after they had a good win on the weekend,” he said.
“If we have a win we deserve the double chance and if we don’t win that game we certainly don’t deserve it.”
Meanwhile, Butcher, Stevens and Vardy have scored invites to the AFL Draft Camp in Canberra from 29 September to 2 October.
Their teammates Jack Weston, Mitch Golby and Michael Ross – brother of Kangaroo Ben Ross – will attend the Victorian state screening session on 4 October.