By JARROD POTTER
Eastern Football League – round 6
WITHOUT enough left in the tank, Noble Park fell away in the final term of its 40-point beating by Vermont.
The plague of former Noble Park campaigns struck again as injuries started to pile up.
Trent Robertson (knee) left the match in the first half before Piva Wright and Stewart Kemperman were also forced to the bench in the latter parts of the clash.
Despite numerical disadvantage, Noble Park rallied through the third term to kick three goals – with Hugh Sandilands and Brett Dore slotting their own early – and threaten Vermont.
The Bulls’ charge of premiership years was back on display in the aptly named premiership quarter as Craig Anderson, Stewart Kemperman and Sammy Monaghan linked up and excelled through the centre.
The Bulls granted too much leeway for the Eagles on the scoreboard as inaccurate kicking and failed chances left Noble Park 20 points in arrears at the final change.
Vermont exploited its personnel advantage to outrun Noble Park in the final term and slam on eight-goals-to-five in a scoring bonanza.
Hugh Sandilands made his Noble Park debut this season and impressed as a lead-out forward and ruck option against Vermont’s former AFL premiership winning powerhouse Simon Taylor.
Justin Van Unen (8 goals) continued to prove he is in a league of his own in the Vermont forward line while former Gippsland Power forward Matt Willcocks provided another great option, but was well helped by Bulls’ defender Bobby Kemperman.
Bulls’ coach Jon Knight said there was a lot to be impressed about beside the final margin and believes his charges can beat Vermont on their day.
“I thought our endeavour was good and we had a real crack but there were times we didn’t use the footy well and especially in that second quarter we kept kicking it back to them,” Knight said.
“We had no bench in the end – Kemperman had to play out of position in the end and Dorey (Brett Dore) took more of the ruckwork than we’d like and having Chuck (Glen Manson) out, Piva doing his calf, we were thrown around a bit with big blokes.”
Knight also praised the courage of his group with Wright and Brett Dore constantly marking the seemingly impossible from three-on-one or worse situations. The fleet-footed Clay McCartney kept Vermont chasing as he would play on and shrug off anyone trying to track him down.
Noble Park hosts Blackburn on Saturday with a chance to improve a 2-3 record and move up from eighth place on the EFL Division 1 ladder.
