By: Matt Fotia
The finish line is in sight people, not long to go now until we can contest those glorious matches we call finals. With all but one division’s finals contestants confirmed, it’s an interesting time across the League as we keep one eye on next week and one eye on September. Here’s five things we learnt from the weekend…
Mum! It happened again
Yep, it happened again. Another premiership contender took down the early season favourite Vermont with relative ease on the weekend at Terrara Road.
This time the victor was the Doncaster Football Club defeating the Eagles away from home for the first time in recent memory.
The Sharks matched the intensity of the Eagles from the outset, and had a clear defensive structure which controlled the corridor and forced the Vermont attacks out wide.
Throughout the first half the Eagles were able to find their way through the corridor on occasion, and their potent forward line ensured that they made the most of their opportunities, to lead at the main break.
The second half however is where we really saw the fleshy wound of this Vermont side. The Sharks not only matched the intensity and pressure of the Eagles, they rose well above it and attacked the ball with more vigour, winning the contested possessions that mattered and defensively owning the Eagles ensuring the corridor was merely shark-infested waters.
The result? An 11-goal-to-two second half in favour of the Sharks.
Vermont would have had more possessions, content to circumnavigate the oval looking for that clear cut opportunity, but this meant a much slower tempo and allowed numbers to sit in front of Eddy and co.
As the Eagles’ defenders pushed higher up the ground, this left a paddock of space behind them and when the Sharks did turn the ball over they were able to isolate Jake Kalanj (four goals and best on ground) to take full advantage.
It is now time for Vermont coach Harmit Singh to re-assess his game plan and his stubbornness in regard to adapting mid-game. Since the semi final of last season’s finals series, Vermont is 2-4 against top five opposition. Of this year’s current top five, only Rowville hasn’t beaten the Eagles, but rest assured they’ll know the blueprint now.
If sides attempt to match the Vermont style of uncontested play, reliant on foot skills, they won’t beat them, because they are hands down the best in that regard. However sides have now isolated the Eagles’ weakness. Contested possessions and their reliance on the corridor and we’ve seen what happens there.
It’s a line in the sand now for the Eagles. Plan A is fine, I am not inferring that the system is poor, it evidently isn’t (11-3 record), however it has flaws. And the sides around them have figured out those flaws. There isn’t anything wrong with that of course, but they need to adapt rather than standing defiantly behind Plan A which has let them down on more than one occasion this season.
A Viking’s Tale
David Johnson had a chance to live out every (Australian) kid’s dream on the weekend, nailing a shot after the siren, tucked in on the boundary line, from the arc to win his side the game, head strapped like the warrior he is, all this after taking a massive pack mark. Unfortunately for one of Norwood’s favourite sons, his kick started right and stayed right, meaning the Dogs got out of jail to draw level on top of the ladder.
It shouldn’t have come down to Johnson’s right boot if we’re being honest. The Norsemen were putting on a clinic throughout the first half piling on nine goals to one, with a massive 19 scoring shots to four, with Jamie Bennell, playing as a permanent forward, snagging four. That first half showed the talent on the Norwood list, and how their best is up there with the top sides in the division.
It was the third quarter, which saw South Croydon take the chocolates 7.7 to 0.1, which we have become all to familiar with this season at Mullum Mullum. The inconsistency that has ravaged the Norwood Football Club this season will disappoint deeply, because a side with their talent and star power is missing a massive opportunity to make waves in what has been the most open Division 1 in as many years.
The Norsemen cannot continue to be the best of the rest. Not with this list and not with the program it has running off the field. I have a feeling that consistency will be a word used frequently this summer for those at Norwood pre-season.
Top-two flex their muscles.
After last weekend’s win over Bayswater, the Croydon Football Club would’ve been quietly confident of pushing flag favourite Doncaster East all the way down at Zebres Reserve over the weekend, and led at the first break. It was a fleeting lead however as Doncaster East ran away to win emphatically by 52 points, with Jake Summers slotting five to bring his season tally to 40.
At the LSO, Wantirna South would’ve also arrived buoyed by another opportunity to claim that elusive fourth place as the last fortnight had opened up nicely for the Devils, despite their Jekyll and Hyde season. Like their counterparts Croydon, they were well in the game at quarter time with the ladder-leaders just two points ahead. But, just like their counterparts they were blown away after the first break as the Falcons came away 58-point victors, with 13 individual goal kickers.
Lilydale has defeated Wantirna South in both their meetings this season. PICTURE: Garry Sparke/Sporting Images
Division 2 may be the only division still with a live finals race, but it doesn’t mean it’s ridiculously even. Lilydale and Doncaster East showed on the weekend, that when they’re on their game, you’re going to struggle to keep up with them. If you chuck Upper Gully into that conversation, the race for fourth place could be purely elementary.
Bears and Hawks restore calm
Round 14 in Division 3 had the opportunity to crack the finals race wide open. Templestowe had a chance to jump into the five and send the Bear Cave into panic, whilst Heathmont could finally put pressure on the sides above it and make a play for that double chance.
Alas, order remained as The Basin withstood the Dockers’ final heave-ho and Boronia held off a rampaging Jets in the dying moments. Both games saw times where the underdogs looked a chance of victory, but at either ends of the game.
Templestowe matched The Basin move for move in the first half, with scores locked at 5.6 apiece, but fell away in the second half as Aaron Findlay (four goals) and Max Kruger (best on ground) inspired the Bears to an important 31-point win.
Boronia jumped out of the blocks at H.E Parker and kicked six goals to none, before the Jets’ superior legs clawed them back into the contest, with old favourite Leigh Odermatt snagging four as they almost pinched victory.
For the Dockers this loss will hurt, but not significantly. As previously mentioned in this column they’ve exceeded expectations this season by even being in the finals calculations and will now concentrate on finishing 2018 strongly.
The Jets however will be much more disappointed. Despite being guaranteed finals football for a while now, they will be concerned by their inability to beat a side above them on the table. They’ve been close on all five occasions, but can’t seem to make the breakthrough. Their run home should see them finish on 13 wins, but it won’t count for much if they can’t figure out a way to beat one of the top three.
Oh Fairpark, not again!
It’s the same old storyline in Division 4. I’m probably being a bit harsh to Fairpark for singling them out in the sub-heading as you could easily bring Kilsyth into this category. The category of slipping up again and again and again.
This time out the Lions were heading up to Silvan to face a side positioned well below them on the ladder. A win would also see them close the gap to just four points between themselves and Forest Hill, who have been uncharacteristically shaky at times in 2018.
The Lions couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. They didn’t lead at any break and lost all four quarters of the match. This loss consigns them to another season without finals football, another season of what could have been.
Much like Norwood in Division 1, the Lions have shown how good their best football is. Unfortunately they’ve shown us their worst footy way to often. Much like their first division counterparts, I’m sure consistency will be the catch-cry of the summer as well.
For Silvan, things are looking good for 2019 and beyond. That’s five wins now, with four out of its last five. New coach Trent Martin can consider it a job well done for this season, with only more positives to come from the remaining games.
Daniel Lemon has been a great acquisition and showed his class again on Saturday night, whilst Greg Smith popped up with another two majors to take his season tally to 15.
There’s plenty to like about what’s going on at the Cattery and their fans should be excited for the seasons to come.
All views expressed in this article remain those of the author and not of the Eastern Football League or its affiliated clubs.