by Jim Gordon
Beulah v Hopetoun
With both sides missing a number of players, it was a chance for others to step up and also an opportunity for Hopetoun to push Beulah after their round one debacle. Certainly the Devils would miss Marcus Burdett, Leigh Hutchison and Lucas Puckle, but the Blues were without the likes of Kim Hallam, Dylan Turnbull and Jake Percy.
Any hope that the Devils had of matching Beulah were quickly extinguished in a first quarter that saw the Blues hold out Hopetoun to the tune of eight goals to two behinds.
Although the Devils came back somewhat in the second quarter to hold Beulah goalless (the first time this has happened to Beulah this year) the damage had been done. The Blues took no notice of missing players, nor the weather, and pulled right away from Hopetoun to score eleven goals to three after half time.
The Blues smaller players dominated, as you would expect in wet conditions, and they had multiple goal scorers in Dale Shannon (5), Shannon Koops and Sam Liston (4 each) and Jarred Combe (3).
To the spectator, it seemed like the weather didn’t bother the Beulah players at all. Others to do well for the Blues, Sam Martin, Stephen Saunders and Bradley Shannon, played like the weather was dry with their brand of power packed, precision football that kept Hopetoun under pressure all day.
It wasn’t as if Hopetoun didn’t have much of the play, but they consistently turned the ball over, something that you cannot afford to do against a Beulah team that deserve the title of early flag favourites. They are on top of the ladder because they are very precise with their disposal and they have the ability to make the right decision whether they are put under pressure, or are attacking into an open forward line.
Zack Taggert and Clint Burdett were Hopetoun’s best, while Liam Price and Hayden Hatcher battled hard all day for the Devils.
Walpeup Underbool v Ouyen United
This game quickly turned into a hard slog due partly to the wintery conditions, but also due to the fact that neither team was prepared to give an inch in their determination win.
Ouyen United were the superior team overall, because they tackled, smothered and kept up an intense pressure for most of the day to keep a talented Walpeup Underbool under control. AJ Wisneske was prominent for Walpeup Underbool, particularly early, marking well and kicking long. Kane Munro worked hard all day and Warrick Brady was everywhere.
Both sides were guilty all day of kicking points when they should have goaled, but Ouyen United had more of the ball and several targets on the forward line including a dominant Sonny Lindsay at half forward who created space and was too strong in one on one contests. But for two posters, Lindsay’s performance would have been truly outstanding. Lindsay was helped by precision football through the centre from the likes of Cory Gregg and Glenn Joyce
The Roos played well in patches, but Ouyen United always looked like they were going to be the winners. Good passages of play by Walpeup Underbool, utilising strong marking and long kicking, were not enough against the foot and quick hand skills of Ouyen United allowing them to create space and always enabled them to match the Roos, maintain and then increase their lead.
Twice when the Demons were looking for something special to lift them, they kicked telling goals to break away. Both were kicked with the breeze. The first was from Corey O’Callaghan in the second quarter from a flank at half forward and the other was a brilliant snap in the final quarter from Peter Caldow.
The third quarter was telling and this was when Ouyen United really stamped their authority on the match. The Roos came out fighting after the half time break with two goals to Warwick Brady, but United dominated for the rest of the quarter and but for two quick gaols by the Roos just before the end of the quarter, the Demons would have held an unassailable lead.
Walpeup Underbool had much to be pleased with. Their endeavour was evident all day, they tackled hard and had a brilliant player in Warrick Brady. Chris Lynch kept Ash Connick to one goal, Chris Vorwerk and Michael Pole did a lot of good work in and around the packs.
It was the ‘walking wounded’ for Ouyen in the final quarter, both Sonny Lindsay and Kieran ‘The General’ O’Shannessey looked like they had hamstring problems and Glenn Joyce went off with a cut to his head after clashing with a team mate.
Woomelang Lascelles v Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers
The rain was great for the farmers, but the Cats didn’t like it and apart from a good first quarter, they were comprehensively outplayed by the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers who had all of the answers.
It was a valiant effort by Woomelang Lascelles to keep the Tigers to just one goal for the quarter, but it was all one way after that. The Tigers may have started slowly, but they got further ahead each quarter and five goals to nothing in the final term was an indication of their domination.
Ryan Dowdy was amongst Sea Lake Nandaly’s best with six goals and he was someone the Tigers could focus on when they went forward and if he didn’t get the ball, there was Nathan Wight who managed to chip in for three.
Already a red hot favourite for the Russ Gravestock Medal, Col Durie was clearly Best on Ground. The wet conditions did not bother him, he seemed to be wherever the ball was, his skills were clean and he has the ability to bring his team mates into the game.
John Foskett was another Tiger who saw a lot of the ball, ending up with a huge number of kicks which meant that Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers had more than one avenue forward, whether kicking with the wind and rain, or against it.
It is not as if the Cats did not have chances in their forward half, but time and again they were turned back by the likes of Taylor Hannig, who was solid in defence all day and Raymond Hender who is still very young, but playing out on a wing gives him a chance to develop his skills whilst creating many chances for his forwards.
If it wasn’t for the Donnan brothers, the score could have been much uglier for the Cats. Joel took mark after mark in defence and Trent was in everything, it wasn’t due to their lack of effort that the Tigers limited Woomelang Lascelles to five behinds for the whole day.
Clayton Lee was another who tried hard for the Cats; he is having a great year and is turning out to be their most consistent player this season. Captain Brodie Schack was another who gave his all in defence and Harrison Wooding, playing on a wing, ran all day.
The Cats tried hard all day, but in the end, they were outgunned and outclassed by the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers.
Last Modified on 30/05/2010 13:44