Cats claw into grand final

By Ken Moore
NEERIM Neerim South moved into the 2011 EDFL grand final after an emphatic 68-point victory over minor premiers Garfield in the second semi-final at Longwarry on Saturday.
The Cats were challenged every quarter, but on each occasion, showed their resilience and responded to rightfully assume premiership favouritism.
Neerim put a down payment on a grand final berth early in the game, when goals by Mick Urie, Tyssen Morrow and Chris Urie set up a 17-point lead inside the opening 15 minutes.
Garfield lifted mid term and a late goal by ruckman Tom Marsh, after a terrific mark, reduced the margin to 11 points at quarter time.
The Stars often went forward with long kicks deep inside their attacking 50 metre zone, which did not prove successful, while the Cats went forward with more measured build-ups in the opening term.
Garfield attacked relentlessly in the second quarter, but aside from a goal by young gun Harry Cregan, lost ground on the scoreboard, after Cat dynamo Chris Urie and Morrow, with his second goal, gave Neerim a handy 18-point lead at the main break.
The Stars peppered the goals in the first 15 minutes of the third quarter and were rewarded with a major by Mal McKenna to trim the margin to 11 points. But that proved to be the closest the Stars would get.
Thereafter, the Cats’ winning chances swelled after snapped goals by Morrow and Chris Urie were followed by six-pointers to Mick Urie and emerging star Joel Whitford, which gave Neerim a commanding 37-point advantage at three-quarter-time.
Garfield’s meagre hopes of victory were dashed at the two minute mark of the last term when Luke Nobelius produced an amazing snap on goal. A minute later, the Stars replied through Shane Reid, but from then on, they looked a spent force and watched Neerim, led by Tyssen Morrow, go on a goal rampage. In a last quarter cameo, Morrow steered through four goals to make it seven for the afternoon.
“It was an outstanding team effort,” first year Gull coach Leigh Sheehan said.
“We had a few things go our way and got a good run from the umpires, but I thought we worked hard to make things go our way.”
For Garfield, Ben, Nick and Tom Marsh had a crack and while not his usual influential self, Ned Marsh, who entered the game under a big injury cloud, still made his presence felt.
The Stars’ chances nosedived in the second quarter when coach Brent Eastwell, who was close to, if not, best afield, left the ground with an ankle injury and Matthew Hobbs, the most threatening of the Stars forwards, was not allowed to take any further part in the game after leaving the field outside the interchange gate.
The Stars’ midfielders lowered their colours to the Cats on-ball brigade … and their forwards were often too static and non-existent for large parts of the match.
Sheehan and fellow midfielder Chris Urie played a big hand over the four quarters, while defenders Nick Humphrey, Dean McFarlane, Ryan Muir and Brenton Cowell kept tight reins on their opponents.
With his bag of seven goals, Morrow reinforced he is one of the elite forwards in the league and veteran Cam Hinkley was often in the thick of the action. Youngsters Joel Whitford and Koby Wilson also gave the Cats plenty of spark in the second half.
Stars coach Brent Eastwell said: “I thought we controlled the tempo for a good part of the game but they played the better and made the most of their opportunities. We just have to put that performance behind us and move forward.”