Werribee Centrals made the trip to Anakie on what was a very dismal day for footy and the weather conditions would only make it a closer match that what everyone expected. Centrals were without quite a few players and this gave some of the reserves a chance to play senior football and with injuries sustained in the match to Adam Schembri and Craig Rosenzweig the side looked depleted as the game wore on.
Centrals started well as they knew they would need to against an Anakie side which has been very competitive over the past few weeks. Alistair Burke was combining well with Nathan Lovell and Travis Johns in the centre of the ground and this enabled Centrals to kick the first four goals of the match. Anthony Kitchen at full forward was creating problems for the Anakie defense and the smaller players in Trent Cole and Ryan Cornish were gaining the benefits at ground level. The whole side was playing well with great intensity until the last few minutes when they lapsed and Anakie were able to kick a couple of goals.
Coach David Leatch asked for the same and Centrals quickly had a goal on the board but then just as quickly slipped back and started to relax as Anakie took the initiative and really controlled the rest of the quarter to be only a goal behind at half time. If it wasn’t for the backline again led by Shaun Simmons and Brayden Smith they could easily have been in front.
After the main break Centrals started as they started the first quarter and quickly kicked another four goals from good running and kicking direct out of the centre where Nathan Lovell was directing the traffic. Then the heavy rain came and the game became scrambley as players found it hard to maintain their feet and control the slippery ball in the conditions. With this type of weather the game quickly packed up as the ball was on the ground most of the time. Central’s backline was again great as Shaun Simmons controlled the last line of defense in what was a great display of wet weather football.
The last quarter only two goals kicked for the whole term as the rain continued and the game diminished further into a slippery sliding affair with the ball on the ground and in packs. This allowed Centrals to stop any run that Anakie may have had left and they ran our winners by five goals.
Centrals now play Geelong West who won their first game of the season last week and with injuries and absences will be another test.
Final Scores:- Werribee Centrals 12.9 – 81 to Anakie 8.7 - 55
Goal Kickers:- A Kitchen 3, T Johns 3, T Cole 2, B Chugg, B Pilkington, L Montgomery & D Todaro 1 each.
Best Players:- S Simmons, T Johns, A Burke, B Chugg, D Todaro & B Smith.
The Centrals Reserves also played Anakie and for what was a game between the top team and the one of the cellar dwellers it was close all day with Centrals unable to get any momentum at all. Yes Centrals had a few unavailable which meant both Steve Nielsen the coach and Matt Watt his assistant had to play but it was Roland Beck who led the way for Centrals in the first half as he was everywhere picking up kicks at will, but the rest of the team struggled with the pace and tenacity of the Anakie younger players. Jared Robinson was a marking target up forward but Centrals just did not have the run to gain any real advantage over the Anakie side. In the end Centrals gained some leverage in the last quarter to win by five goals as well but they would not have been impressed with the output of much of the side.
Final Scores:- Werribee Centrals 13.7 – 86 to Anakie 8.9 – 57
Goal Kickers:- J Robinson 3, P Hegarty 3, M DeLuca 2, D Giarrusso, J O’Brien, C Barillaro, L O’Malley & D Gamble 1 each.
Best Players:- R Beck, J Robinson, P Hegarty, D Gamble, J O’Brien & A Hamilton.