West Preston Lakeside vs Heidelberg
Round 16 at Heidelberg
West Preston Lakeside travelled to Heidelberg to take on the top of the ladder tigers who had been in stirling form throughout the season proving very difficult opposition in Division 1 especially at home.
The Roosters welcomed back Anthony Rocca into the side to bolster the forward line and rewarded midfielders Shaun Barker and Chris Belbasis for their stellar form in the reserves this season with their 1st Senior games of the season.
Heidelberg Stormed out of the blocks early in the game to pile on 5 goals in the first quarter with some fast play through the midfield to give their forwards opportunities to hit the scoreboard. West Preston compounded the problem with a few critical errors deep in the back half resulting in goals. Not to be denied, the Roosters responded with a few goals of their own to go in at quarter time facing only a 2 goal deficit.
The rest of the first half was very even and competitive football. The Roosters won the second term with a 2 goal to 1 quarter and went into the half time break with some confidence after matching the intensity of Heidelberg.
Brendan Nannery was superb in the first half with some goal saving plays deep in defence as well as some excellent rebound work from the back half. He linked up well with Shaun Gannon, Luke Cotchett and Ash Bardon to repell many Heidelberg forays forward. With Prestigiacomo and Bisetto holding firm on some key talls it was positive signs for the Roosters showing they could hold the dangerous forwards for Heidelberg.
Meanwhile in the midfield, Chris Belbasis was prolific in the clearances along with Pece Micevski who continued to provide toughness and excelled in the heavier conditions. Heidelberg had two dominant ruckmen on the ground and although they clearly had the advantage in hitouts that didn't necessarily correlate to an advantage in clearances. With some solid play around the ball from Chas Bromley and speed on the outside from Raemekers and Vasilevski the Roosters were poised to make a second half charge.
The third quarter provided some inspiring play that led to a 5 goal straight quarter and the ascendency on the scoreboard. Anthony Rocca came to life inside 50 with plenty of space to assert his dominance. He booted multiple goals and with Billy Micevski in the forward half were quite a handful for the Tiger's defence.
Damien Smith was using his superior aerobic capacity to give an option going forward for the Rooster's midfielders to utilise. With Billy Morrison marking everything in the forward and back line it meant the long kicks were being controlled by West Preston rather than the Heidelberg talls. Simon Close was covering enormous ground to pressure and attack the footy without fear, his impact wasn't necessarily profound on the stats sheet but his contested work is certainly a barometer for the Roosters.
Going into the final term the game went up a notch. With severe consequences for both teams it was willing and contested football at its best. There was no easy footy and the players threw themselves in at the contest to gain any advantage for their side. Billy Morrison was again dominant in the air and Chris Belbasis was tough in the clinches throughout the last term. When Simon Close marked and slotted a terrific goal from 40m on the run it looked like an upset was brewing.
With a few minutes left on the clock Heidelberg realised the urgency and surged forward to hit the scoreboard and cut the lead with two goals in succession. With a one point lead and less than a minute on the clock a long kick from Heidelberg went to the hot spot inside 50 where Andrew Luzza went back with the flight to almost take a courageous game saving mark but the ball spilled out to a Heidelberg player who kicked a match tieing behind. The siren sounded and the match was to end in a draw.
There was no winner on the day and both sides probably didn't deserve to lose. A draw may well have been a fitting result but certainly not the desired one for the Roosters who sit in 5th position on the ladder. Anthony Rocca finished the day with 6 goals and most certainly was the best forward on the ground. Billy Morrison again proved a hard match up and is in some ominous form heading into the final two games of the season. Unlikely midfield contributors Chris Belbasis and Chas Bromley worked tirelessly to support Smith, Micevski and Williams all day and the backline was solidified by consistent quality play from Brendan Nannery.
Looking ahead, West Preston Lakeside head to Lower Plenty in what shapes as a critical game for the Roosters to remain in the finals race. Key players looking likely to return including Bardon, McKenna, Robertson and McInerney.
Last Modified on 12/08/2012 17:47