By Marcus Uhe
With the eyes of the Eastern Football Netball League firmly on them in a standalone clash with ladder-leading Balwyn, Noble Park produced what Steve Hughes described as their “most complete” performance of their premiership defence to date.
A stoic defensive display on the road, in which they held the Tigers to their second-lowest score of the 2023 campaign, was the catalyst for the 41-point win, 12.15 87 to 6.10 46.
Despite losing key defender Josh Tour midway through the afternoon, the tall trio of Ryan Morrison, Jack Francis and Hudson Thomas worked for, and with, each other to completely nullify Brenton Sanderson’s side, boasting the well-regarded trio of Jordan Lisle, Jeffrey Gobbels and Charlie Haley, who have kicked 55 goals between them this season.
Prior to Saturday’s contest, the Tigers had only been held goalless in a quarter once this season.
Against the Bulls, it happened twice.
Two goals to the visitors in quick succession late in the first term ensured they took momentum into the first change, having kept the ladder leaders to the first of the two goalless terms.
Luke Nelson was the beneficiary of swarming forward pressure, producing a sensational finish in traffic from hard against the boundary line, before Josh Stern converted a downfield free-kick awarded to Kevin Kean.
Balwyn wouldn’t strike until 10 minutes into the second term through Lisle, who was awarded a free-kick in the pocket and marched to the goal-line due to a 25-metre penalty.
Two goals each to Nelson and Liam Scott, however, not only kept the home side at bay, but pushed Noble Park’s lead to 32 late in the quarter.
The product of their attack was forged through their suffocating defence,with intercepts and forward-half turnovers their primary sources of scoring.
The trademark Bulls press forced the Balwyn defenders from side-to-side as they struggled to find any exits, leading to Francis and Thomas picking-off kicks to contests on multiple occasions.
Nelson’s pace, too was problematic for Balwyn, showcasing his ability to sneak out the back on the charge toward goal and stream away from his opponents.
At the smaller-than-most Balwyn Park, the speed with which Noble Park moved the football was causing headaches.
But for all their ascendency in general play, they took just a 20-point lead into the long break, with the home side kicking the final two of the half.
Balwyn’s second coming from another free-kick would have been a tough pill to swallow, and salt was added to the wound with a long bomb just before the break, undoing some of the Bulls’ good work further afield, and provided a reminder of the quality of their opponent.
Needing a steadier to get back on track, enter Ben Marson.
Providing a target, time and again for his defenders, the bullocking centre-half forward kicked the opening goal of the quarter from distance and combined with yet another Francis intercept mark to provide Christopher Horton-Milne with his first major.
The ball hardly entered the Tigers’ forward 50, managing just the single shot on goal to the Bulls’ 10 for the quarter, making the most of the breeze favouring the scoreboard end.
A three-quarter-time lead of 39 points set the task for the ladder leaders to overcome, but as the two sides traded goals down the stretch, the Bulls were able to hold strong.
“To come here and face a side on their home deck at 7-1, on top of the ladder and playing good footy and for us to deliver that, yeah I’m really pleased,” Hughes said.
“I’m really glad that we’re back to the brand that we want to play.
“Our pressure around the contest was the best we’ve been all year.
“I think we laid somewhere in the vicinity of 80 tackles, which we haven’t been anywhere near there this year. That gives you a bit more of a chance on a smaller ground here, as well as guys playing their role.”
The premiership coach was full of praise for both his midfield and back six.
“Obviously they’re pretty handy forwards, so for us to win those match-ups was something we were really pleased with.
“They’ve got some guys who can hurt you pretty quick in the likes of Charlie (Haley), Lisle, and Gobbles, so we had to get those match-ups right, which I think we did.
“But we said all week that we thought the game would be won and lost in the midfield and it probably was.
“I thought we were on top at stoppages. (Jackson) Sketcher, Horton-Milne, Jackson Casey and Tom Glen, I thought they were all winners on the day.”
With the remainder of round nine to be played next week, the Bulls will enjoy a rest having recorded their first set of back-to-back wins since their three-week win streak to open the season.
Having righted the ship after a “testing” first half of the year, beginning with losing Kyle Martin and Shane McDonald on the eve of the season with knee injuries, their current purple-patch sets the tone for their premiership defence in the remainder of the season.
“I think that (the injuries) was a bit stressful, and we weren’t playing great footy in the first six-seven weeks, which has kind of clicked,” Hughes said.
“But I think we do need a mental break as well.
“It’ll be nice to put the breaks on for a week, I think we need to.”
They’ll resume their premiership defence with a return clash against South Croydon at home, who they beat by four points in round three.
Balwyn 0.3 3.8 3.9 6.10 (46)
Noble Park 3.3 7.4 9.12 12.15 (87)
Balwyn Goals: Jordan Lisle 2, Jeffrey Gobbels, Alexander Urban, Tristan Van Driel, Charlie Haley.
Best: Aaron Britten, Jordan Lisle, Joshua Pollocks, Charlie Haley, Bowen Smith, Fraser Hicks.
Noble Park Goals: Luke Nelson 3, Joshua Stern 3, Liam Scott 2, Kevin Kean, Ben Marson, Christopher Horton-Milne, Jackson Casey.
Best: Jack Francis, Ben Marson, Jackson Sketcher, Luke Bull, Bodey Lambert, Jack Gains.
