by Jim Gordon
WALPEUP UNDERBOOL V JEPARIT RAINBOW
This bottom of the table clash at Underbool resulted in huge win for Walpeup Underbool. It was a disappointing ending to a disastrous season for the Lakers.
Walpeup Underbool have returned to some of the outstanding form we saw early in the season Their fans can only imagine what the season could have been but for a series of debilitating injuries to some of their better players.
Jeparit Rainbow played a good first quarter, but were blown away in the second term. Showing strength and fortitude the Lakers fought back in the third quarter to get within four goals of the Roos at the halfway mark, but it was at this point that Walpeup Underbool took over, applied themselves to the task of winning and dominated for the rest of the game.
The very young and inexperienced Jeparit Rainbow defence were outgunned by Kane Munro with nine goals and Jeremy Rowe with ten goals after Rowe was moved into the Walpeup Underbool attack from his usual defensive role.
The game began at a slow pace with goals to Kane and Scott Munro. These were answered by goals to Jeparit Rainbow, one of which was a beauty by Ashley Clugston which allowed the Lakers to creep into the lead.
In a tight game, two quick goals to Jeremy Rowe in the second term gave Walpeup Underbool a handy lead. The Roos were winning the ball out of the centre and already the inexperienced Jeparit Rainbow defence was under pressure.
When Munro kicked his fourth it looked like it was going to be a one-sided match only for the Lakers to get a badly needed goal against the flow of play. This seemed to give them a lift until Rowe steadied the ship scoring his third for the quarter.
Jeparit Rainbow got off to the perfect start at the beginning of the third term with a quick goal. They looked a lot more desperate and were again rewarded with a goal this time through Bed Marra. When Daniel Grieg kicked a long goal for Jeparit Rainbow, it was game on.
Walpeup Underbool needed a spark and found one through Scott McDonald. He and Matt Brown were relishing their roles in the midfield. The Roos fought hard and eventually goaled through Rowe and then the hard working Munro kicked another. McDonald was able to score another goal for Walpeup Underbool and the Roos had wrested back the initiated and the margin really blew out when first gamer Thomas Elliott kicked a good goal after the siren.
An early goal to Rowe in the final term was always going to make it tough for Jeparit Rainbow, but when some unselfish play from the Roo forwards resulted in a goal to Darren Latta, the game was effectively over.
Rowe was on fire up forward for Walpeup Underbool, Luke Nathan sealed the win with a great goal from the 50m mark and the Roos ran away to score a big win.
As well as Rowe and Munro playing well, Chris Vorwerk and Travis Latta played strong games across the backline for the Roos.
In what has become a recurring event, Laker midfielders Heath Clugston, Ashley Clugston (with three great goals), Corey Waldron and Ben Marra were Jeparit Rainbow’s best players. These four have featured amongst the Lakers best players in nearly every game this year.
Lucas Edelsten was another Laker who was lively around the ground, Jake Parry ran hard all day and Aaron Glenn made the most of limited opportunities to kick three goals. Youngster Nathan Cocks kicked two goals.
HOPETOUN V WOOMELANG LASCELLES
In what turned out to be a cracking game at Hopetoun, Woomelang Lascelles were in with a chance for most of the day, but fell away in the end to lose by fourteen points. In an honourable defeat, the Cats just miss out on finals football this year after finishing bottom of the ladder the past two seasons.
The Devils’ form has been very patchy recently. They may have been too strong in the end for Woomelang Lascelles, but their inability to put four consistent quarters of football together is something that may come back to haunt them in the finals series.
They come up against a Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers side at Beulah next week that very nearly ran over the Demons by playing four quarters of intense, finals-like pressure football.
Once again Kain Robins was the main focal point at half forward for Hopetoun. The Devils rely on Robins to kick the majority of their score and this will have to be the case again next week as they look like they will be without their other key gaol kicker Bryce Wellington who went off early in the first quarter with what looked like a hamstring injury.
Fortunately for the Devils their defence worked well together. Leigh Hutchinson’s leadership from defence is inspirational while Steve Hallam and Ben Reid were also solid in their work.
Simon Cook is in great form in the ruck and in another positive for the Devils, Ruben Vesikuru and Chris Heath are teaming well and finding form at the right end of the season.
For Woomelang Lascelles, they had targets up forward where Chris Smith kicked four goals as did Jayden Lonergan, Rohan Coburn and Richard Heathcote both finished with three goals. Anthony Foott had another great game and youngster Tim Hanns put in another impressive performance.
SEA LAKE NANDALY TIGERS V OUYEN UNITED
With Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers playing for a spot in the finals and Ouyen United playing for not very much at all, it should not have been surprising that the Demons came close to letting this one slip away.
Right from the very first bounce the Tigers looked like they meant business in one of their best displays for the year. They were relentless in the pressure they applied to their opposition and it started in defence where Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers had the better of the gun Ouyen United forwards with Nathan Wight holding Sonny Lindsey to two goals, Bradley Vallance managed three and Dom Leach was goalless.
Whilst there were seven goal kickers for Ouyen United on Saturday, usually this number is much higher, an indication of the pressure that Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers applied to United forwards. This season Ouyen United players have been precise with their disposal skills, but due to the close play of Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers, United had trouble attacking through creative handball as it was often chopped off by the Tigers.
Usually Adam O’Callaghan lines up on Joshua Longeri, but this week Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers played him up on a wing where Ben Mole picked him up. Longeri played his wing as an attacking forward and he did quite a bit of damage with three goals.
The Tigers went with a tall forward line where Daniel Carmichael kicked five goals and Longeri three. The Ouyen United defence played well for most of the day playing close and negating the Tiger forwards by punching the ball. Joshua Langdon was effective in this role.
The Tiger forwards tended to drag key United playmakers in Joshua Coates and Andrew Jardine as far back as possible and United missed their running dash from half back.
In the centre, Criag Deckert played well in the ruck for United, but Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers’ Col Durie was clearly best on ground doing his best work in the centre or roaming between half forward or half back. Glenn Joyce spent some time on Durie, but when durie went forward, Joshua Coates picked him up, but it didn’t matter who was on Durie, he dominated, winning countless possessions.
Ouyen United had good onballers as well. Peter Caldow played another great game and Marc Hahnel picked up his usual number of possessions and stood out with a couple of very good pack marks.
A feature of their game was the tackling of the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers. They never gave Ouyen United the freedom they have become used to and used their pace on the wide open spaces of the Sea Lake oval to run the ball into attack.
This hard fought win could be just what United needs as they have the week off before facing Beulah at Hopetoun. They now know that if a side can hold them early and maintain pressure for four quarters, they are no guarantee to win.
For the Tigers, they will take a great deal of confidence from this honourable loss and the Devils will need to be at their best to deal with them next week at Beulah.
Last Modified on 21/08/2011 19:12
