By Blair Burns
Hampton Park made it two wins on the trot as it defeated Mordialloc by 31 points and returned to the top of the Southern Division 2 ladder.
The Redbacks have had an up and down season with injuries and suspensions restricting them from having a full squad to pick from each week.
Under the guidance of playing coach Luke Bull, the side won the first two matches in a big way and stamped authority over the competition as the hot premiership favourites.
But the injury-riddled Redbacks then lost two games they were expected to win, against Highett (17 points) and Endeavour Hills (seven points), but they have bounced back.
With players like Bailey Dmonte and Jayden Weichard returning from long suspensions, and Emmanuel Jakwot coming back from injury, Hampton Park is building.
Coach Bull said the team had to be on their best game every week or else they would get beaten.
“It’s been a funny year, the competition is so tight … I say to the boys every week that if you’re not on your game, any side will jump you,” he said.
“We haven’t been able to get any consistency with having the best side out on the park unfortunately but we have got back some key players in the past couple of weeks.”
Bull and his side played host to the Bloods at Robert Booth Reserve for their fourth home game for the season and made sure they started from the opening clearance.
The home side quickly put Mordialloc on the back foot with nine scoring shots to two in the first quarter, taking a 22 point lead into the first break.
However, the Bloods were riding a wave of confidence after knocking off Frankston Dolphins last week and responded in the second quarter.
The visitors were determined not to get blown out of the water and worked their way back into the contest, scoring the only two goals for the quarter.
“We got a good jump on them but we couldn’t really put them away which was annoying,” Bull said.
“We had little lapses where we didn’t play well and let them kick one or two, then we would kick one or two and we couldn’t really separate from them.”
Mordialloc fought the brave fight but after half time it was clear that Hampton Park was beginning to get on top, winning the contested ball which was pleasing for Bull.
The Redbacks outscored the Bloods 14-3 in a scrappy third quarter as the rain began to fall at Robert Booth Reserve.
But it was the last quarter where both sides got some cleaner plays, with some chances going begging for Hampton Park as the team kicked 10.13 to win by 31 points.
“I said to the boys after the game that it was an ugly win, but a win is a win,” Bull said.
“You can’t be too disappointed with a win but there are a lot of areas of improvement for us.”
Liam Scott has had a great start to the season and his coach says that if he could improve his accuracy, he would’ve had an even better start.
“It would be good if he could kick straight,” Bull laughed.
“He has been great, I don’t just think he is the best player in the division, I reckon he is probably one of the best players in the whole competition.
“If he was in Division 1, he would be dominating … he continues to show how good he is and is at the peak age of 25.”
Scott kicked two goals in the win over the Bloods and was named best on ground for the Redbacks.
The Hampton Park gun has kicked 13 goals in the opening six matches, has been named in the best in every game but one and leads the league mark tally by 19.
The side now shifts its focus to the challenge of Frankston Dolphins this week, at home once again.
“I rate them, I have watched a bit of their footage over the past couple of weeks and they move the ball well,” he said.
“They’ve done pretty well considering they just came up from Division 3, they’ve had a fairly good impact so far.”
In other Round 6 matches, East Malvern defeated Frankston Dolphins by 22 points with Charlie McGaw (three goals) leading the forward charge, while Angus Cameron was named the Panthers’ best.
Chelsea Heights also won their third match of the season by 22 points against Doveton Doves as Liam Frazer, Nathan Wright and Jesse Murphy took control of the game in the second half.
Keysborough had its best win of the season as it smashed Endeavour Hills by 79 points in front of a home crowd at Rowley Allen Reserve.
Max Corbyn was dominant in the victory, while Kyden Vella (four goals), Ethan Bakes and Simon Marchese (both three goals) hit the scoreboard in a big way.
Highett’s three game winning streak has been snapped by Caulfield Bears as Lynden Dunn booted three goals and led his side to an upset victory over the Dogs.
Highett controlled the first quarter taking a 18-point lead into the first break, but Caulfield responded and it was only one point the difference at the main interval.
The Bears kept the Dogs scoreless in the third term to run away with the 14-point victory, their third in a row.
SOUTHERN DIV 2
HAMPTON PARK 4.5 4.7 6.9 10.13(73)
MORDIALLOC 1.1 3.2 3.5 6.6(42)
Hampton Park Goals: Liam Scott, Jayden Weichard 2, Declan Brunell, Makaio Haywood, Bailey Dmonte, Liam Myatt, Trent Thomas, Myles Wareham. Best: Liam Scott, Emmanuel Jakwot, Jye King, Kyle Grigg, Jayden Weichard, Luke Bull.
Mordialloc Goals: Robert Evans. Best: Luis Soto, Toby Plant, Christopher Wheeler, Lachlan Howes, Robert Evans, Joshua Gibbins.
KEYSBOROUGH 4.2 8.7 12.15 15.19(109)
ENDEAVOUR HILLS 2.1 2.3 3.4 4.6(30)
Keysborough Goals: Kyden Vella 4, Ethan Bakes, Simon Marchese 3, Joseph Bekierz, Brad Doyle, Dylan McKenzie, Thomas Shaw, Dylan Webb. Best: Max Corbyn, Phillip Ilic, James Ellis, Samuel Ellis, Ethan Bakes, Dylan Webb.
Endeavour Hills Goals: Jarrod Marolla, Sam McLean, Shaun Richards. Best: Shaun Richards, Sam McLean, Baron Grant, Liam Hasler, Benjamin Holland, James Archer.
CHELSEA HEIGHTS 2.3 3.7 8.11 11.12(78)
DOVETON 1.3 3.4 6.6 8.8(56)
Chelsea Heights Goals: Jesse Murphy 3, Liam Frazer, Erishmiilan Uthayakumar 2, Dale Haycroft, Nicholas Lee, William McIntosh, Nathan Wright. Best: Liam Frazer, Nathan Wright, Josh Stolp, Luke Clark, Joel Williams, Luke Tapscott.
Doveton Goals: Jack Calvert 2, Nikolas Hibbert, Matt Parker, Harley Primrose, Shaun Semmens, Hayden Spierings, Cameron Williamson. Best: Ryan Hall, Sam Ellis, Luke Daidone, Jake Ingaliso, Jake Basa, Jake Calvert.
OTHER GAMES – Rd 6: East Malvern 10.14 (74) def Frankston Dolphins 7.10 (52), Caulfield Bears 9.10 (64) def Highett 7.8 (50).
LADDER: Hampton Park, East Malvern 16, Frankston Dolphins, Highett, Chelsea Heights, Caulfield Bears, Mordialloc, Keysborough 12, Endeavour Hills, Doveton Doves 8.
FIXTURE – Rd 7: Caulfield Bears (6) v Chelsea Heights (5), Hampton Park (1) v Frankston Dolphins (3), Doveton Doves (10) v Keysborough (8), Mordialloc (7) v East Malvern (2), Endeavour Hills (9) v Highett (4).
