Noble gift to caretaker

By Paul Pickering
NOBLE Park caretaker coach Jason Fennell praised his players for their professionalism after Saturday’s 68-point win over East Burwood.
Fennell, whose predecessor Alan Ezard was sacked midweek, admitted to suffering some nerves before his first game as senior coach, but his charges showed no sign of the same affliction in a blistering nine-goal first quarter.
The spirited opening not only settled the coach’s nerves, but it knocked the stuffing out of the hometown Rams and they never recovered.
The only significant challenge came just after half-time, when the hosts drew to within seven goals, but the Bulls responded with three quick majors to Shayne Allan, Andrew Gilbert and Stewart Kemperman.
Allan booted three of his four goals in the third term, but he was ultimately upstaged by hard-running youngster Kyle Martin, who bagged five for the afternoon in a best-on-ground performance.
Ziggie Alwan and Nick Williams were damaging across half-back, while George Angelopoulos, Trent Robertson and skipper Peter O’Brien found the footy at will around the ground.
Fennell, who was an assistant coach and football operations manager on Ezard’s match committee, was delighted with his players’ efforts.
“You always want to perform well after a decision like that is made,” he said.
“And, to the players’ credit, they handled it really well.”
Fennell said he would not be ringing the changes at the Bullring, but vowed to empower the players for the remainder of the season.
“I’ve told the players that if they’ve got any thoughts or issues, come and talk to us as a match committee and we’ll take everything on board,” he said.
“We’ve made a pact that the commitment to each other over the next six weeks has to be 100 per cent.”
The Bulls are still sitting sixth on the ladder, with only percentage separating them from third spot. Saturday’s clash with fourth-placed Blackburn should be a cracker.