Ben Rowles
On the back of an amazing 15-goal
haul from spearhead Kaleb Sherwell, the Gol
Gol Hawks handed out one of the biggest drubbings seen in Millewa Football
League history, by totally dismantling Cardross to win by 40-goals at
Carramar Drive on Saturday.
Despite heading into the game as firm
favourites, no one was expecting such a dominant performance from the
Hawks, who effectively had the game wrapped up at quarter time.
The Lions on the other hand were on
the back foot from the start, with key utility Chris Bounias pulling
out of the side.
For Cardross to have any chance of an
upset, they needed to shut down the dangerous Gol Gol forward line,
which contained the likes of Sherwell, Dean Umback and Jason Bruhn.
However the task proved beyond the Lions
early on, as all three got themselves on the scoresheet in the first
term, which set the scene for the whole day. The first quarter was totally
dominated by the Hawks as they kicked ten goals to one, with plenty
of run being supplied by Dion Collins on the wing.
Gol GolâÂÂs stranglehold on the match
continued into the second quarter, as Bouniasâ absence continued to
cause problems for the Lions. Mark East was battling hard down back
for Cardross, but with the Gol Gol midfield led by Tansley Hill running
a riot, the constant supply into the forward 50 became too much for
the Lions.
Joining in on the party in his 100th
game, David McDonnell kicked the first of his 5 goals for the day 15
minutes in to the second quarter, to extend the lead to 14 goals. McDonnell
was just one of 7 multiple goal kickers that the Hawks had on the day,
which showcased the amount of options Gol Gol had going forward.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Jake
Zoch could take a lot of heart from his battle with reigning McDonald
Medallist, Tim Robinson. Zoch was winning the majority of the
taps in the first half, and even provided a handy target up forward
for the Lions, as he kicked Cardrossâ second and final goal for the
day late in the quarter.
Although they entered the half time break
101-points up, Gol Gol showed no signs of taking the foot off the accelerator
in the third quarter. Sherwell- who had already kicked 7 at the main
break- really came to life in the third and put on a goal kicking display
to excite the home crowd. He took some solid grabs and converted truly
from each opportunity presented to him. Sherwell ended up kicking 5
of the Hawks 13 goals for the third quarter, as they headed into the
final change with almost 200 on the board.
The final quarter saw the Lions show
a little more desperation and pressure around the ball carrier, but
in the end the class of the Hawks had all the answers. It was fitting
that Sherwell kicked the final goal after the siren to bring his tally
to 15, and Gol GolâÂÂs to 40 for the match, as they ran out 248-points
winners.
The best on ground award could have been
raffled between a number of Gol Gol players such as Hill, Collins and
Sherwell, but it was the Hawksâ team effort that would have impressed
coach Dean Wilkie the most. Gol GolâÂÂs ability to keep working and
presenting for their team mates right up until the final siren was certainly
an indication that the Hawks are going places in 2009.
As for Cardross, a big week of soul searching
and rebuilding is ahead, as they sift through the damage of two heartbreaking
losses in a row. Zoch and East can hold their heads up high for the
Lions, but they need more than two contributors if they are to compete
with the elite teams in the competition.
Other games in Round 5 saw Euston hold
off a determined Werrimull outfit, to run out 62-point winners at home.
The Pies were thereabouts all day against the reigning premiers, but
in the end the Bombers led by Sam Parker and Cameron Browne proved to
have too much skill and fitness for Werrimull come the final siren.
Colby Loxton and Matt Kelly tried hard
all day for Werrimull, but the Pies will need to wait another week before
they get the chance to crack their first win for the season. As for
Euston, they face the red hot Bambill outfit in a game that should prove
to be one for the ages.
The final game of the round saw Nangiloc
claim a confidence boosting win against Meringur by 17-points, as they
ran away with the match in the second half.
The Demons led by one point at half time,
but with the likes of Jake Reed (8 goals) and Damien Sitters having
big influences on the match, Nangiloc were able to take their second
win for the year, as they stake their claim to play finals footy this
year.
As for Meringur, the ever reliable Colin
Keatch and Dan Smith were solid contributors all day, but in the end
the Demons pace and run through the midfield proved too much for the
gallant Roos. This loss sees Meringur drop out of the top 4, while Nangiloc
claims fourth spot behind Gol Gol on the league ladder.