MAGPIES GUARANTEE DOUBLE CHANCE
By Louie Bulzomi
Werrimull secured a place in the Second Semi-Final with a 55-point win over Cardross, 22.7 (139) to 13.6 (84), at Lake Cullulleraine.
Both sides started well, but the Lions broke down venturing forward. As a result, the Magpies kicked clear on the back of Mark Duscher’s three goals and the solid work of Michael Harradine, Aaron Milner, Colby Loxton and Bradley Manna.
A booming 60m goal from Ben Ransome ignited Cardross early in the second, but the absence of both Zoch brothers began to hurt them as Milner got on top in the ruck to help engineer another six goal to two quarter for Werrimull.
After a late second-term fracas (ending with Manna and Jayden Boehm copping yellow cards), the third term embodied feeling. Jacob Drewett, Michael Laird and Ransome kept battling for the Lions, and Darren McCarthy stood tall at centre-half forward, but the Magpies still managed to win the quarter.
The final term was virtually even, but in the end the first half deficit was too big an obstacle for Cardross to overcome.
Gol Gol drove another nail in the Nangiloc coffin at Demonville via a 118-point thrashing, 25.16 (166) to 7.6 (48).
A brilliant Hayden Falconer running goal was all the Demons could show for a first term that was predominantly one-way traffic for the Hawks. While they all were at their best, Shaun McInerney, Tony Albert and Bill Middlebrook were the standouts.
The first minute of the second term summed up Nangiloc’s season as Cameron Cox succumbed to an ankle injury. Ben Crosbie gathered plenty of the footy, and Luke Weaver offered up forward, but the scoreboard remained stagnant as Gol Gol’s defence kept stern and Sonny Lindsey, Tim Vandenberg and Kaleb Sherwell maintained their high quality.
In the third, the Demons stormed out of the blocks with the first three goals as Crosbie and Jared Turvey significantly increased their possession accumulation and Ben Mansell held the defence together.
But the Hawks withstood that onslaught and held Nangiloc goalless in the last en route to another big victory and a major step closer to a Second-Semi Final berth.
Euston were brave for a half before surrendering to Bambill by 53 points, 18.14 (122) to 10.9 (69) at Bomberland.
In Kurt Mattschoss’s 50th game, the Bombers started strong with Toby Quirk-Meeks, Daniel Curran and the Denaro cousins dominant, and the returns of Anthony McMahon and Tom Healy from injury bolstering the defence. But a spate of ill-discipline led to three Saints goals from three 50m penalties, costing Euston a bigger quarter-time lead.
After a Michael Hickey goal from inside the centre square, Bambill took control. The cohesion between the likes of Chris Curran, Jarratt Farley, Steve Sellens, Luke Hubble and Robbie Morgan resulted in many forays forward and a 23-point half-time advantage.
Chris Moore moved onto Hickey in the third and held him up as the Bombers kept trying hard. But unfortunately their turnovers let them down far too often, allowing many easy Saint forward 50 entries where Luke Stanbrook made his presence felt with three goals.
The last term was all Bambill; however a 3.7 return showed a lack of capitalisation. Still, a vital away win for them as they keep their faint double-chance hopes alive.
Next week, Euston host Nangiloc, Cardross and Bambill do battle at Henshilwood Oval, and Werrimull and Gol Gol drive to the Lake.
Last Modified on 30/07/2012 19:08