Ben
Rowles
After
12 unbeaten games in a row, Bambill have suffered their first loss in 2009,
going down in convincing fashion against a red hot Gol Gol side at Mildura
Senior College on Saturday.
The Saints took the field without the services
of key tall Denny Fox, while the Hawks had to make do without the penetrating
kicking of Ben Parker for the afternoon.
The game got underway with the Hawks grabbing
an early goal courtesy of a smart snap from Jason Bruhn, that saw Gol Gol get
the early jump. This set the tone for the rest of the quarter, as Gol Gol
completely blew Bambill out of the water with a 5 goal to 1 first term, with 4
of those goals belonging to Bruhn.
The quarter time break couldn’t come quick
enough for the shell-shocked Saints, who needed to regroup quickly before the
game got too far out of their reach. But it was the Hawks who continued to play
some scintillating football after the break, highlighted by a stunning goal
from Mark Hooper on the boundary line to stretch the lead to 5 goals early in
the second term.
Despite being unusually quiet in the first
term, league leading goalkicker Kaleb Sherwell came alight in the second
quarter. He kicked 4 goals within 10 minutes, as the Hawks continued to steam
roll the Saints in every facet of the game; even managing to keep Bambill goalless
in a quarter for the first time this season, as they took a commanding 59-point
lead into half-time.
Gol Gol continued to drive Bambill into the
dirt after half time, with midfielder Dean McDowall finding space at will to
kick 3 fantastic goals for the quarter to end any chance Bambill had of winning
the game.
Bambill finally broke their goal drought half
way through the third term, courtesy of a goal from Brett Haase, but by then,
the Saints were only playing for pride as they went into the final term still
10 goals adrift.
To Bambill’s credit, they continued to fight
the game out, even managing to outscore the Hawks in the final quarter. But ultimately
in the end, it was Gol Gol’s day, as the Hawks claimed a 44-point win.
It was a fantastic win for the Hawks, with all
players chipping in to do their bit in a superb team effort. The defence was
rock solid, the midfield classy and the forward line too powerful for the
Saints defenders to handle.
Despite not kicking a goal after quarter time,
Jason Bruhn continued to provide a terrific target all afternoon for the Hawks
in a best on ground performance. Tim
Robinson was fantastic in the ruck all day, while Dallas Bailey and Mel Ficarra
both performed several key shutdown roles brilliantly for their side.
As for the Saints, this loss will hurt, but it
may not do them any harm to have this reality check at this stage of the season.
Brett Haase was a shining light for the Saints up forward, kicking 5 goals despite
being presented with limited opportunities. Coach Robert Morgan lead his team
admirably in trying circumstances, while Simon Kelly was the catalyst for the
Saints improved performance in the second half.
In other matches, Euston all but sealed third spot
on the Millewa Football League ladder, after getting over the top of a
determined Meringur side in a thriller at Euston Reserve.
In a match that could prove to be a preview of
the 1st Semi Final, the game was played at a high intensity with
both sides determined to prove they are genuine finals contenders.
After a tough but entertaining first half, it
was the Bombers who took a small 4-point lead into half time. With the game so
perfectly balanced, there was no doubt the game was set to go down to the wire,
which has become a common occurrence between these two sides in recent years.
But on this occasion, it was Euston who held their nerve in the final term to
claim a thrilling 8-point win.
Brad Smith and Thomas Healey enjoyed good
afternoons for the Bombers, while Sean Smith, John Kennedy, Joey Denaro and
Joey Bulzomi were all multiple goal kickers for the red and the black.
In the final game of the round, Cardross
claimed just their second win for the year, defeating fellow competition
struggler, Werrimull, in a comprehensive 49-point win at Lake Cullulleraine.
In a match that would most likely see the loser
claim the wooden spoon for 2009, there was plenty on the line for both sides
heading into this clash. However, it was
the Lions who came out firing in the first half, as they played some fantastic
football to head into the half-time break with a handy 5 goal buffer.
The Pies needed to lift after half-time, but as
has so often been the case for Werrimull this season, their lack of fitness
again proved to be their downfall, as the Lions ran away with a confidence
boosting win.
Darren McCarthy was terrific up forward in his
8-goal performance for the Lions, while Tom Wallace and Jake Zoch gave their
Magpie opponents headaches all day in their bid to restrict their influence on
the game.
As for Werrimull, Jamie Keenan again showed the
way for his team mates kicking 6 goals in a lone hand up forward, while Colby
Loxton continued his recent good form with another solid showing.
Last Modified on 02/08/2009 17:12