THE clash between third-placed St John’s and top side Glen Eira was a finals preview.
St John’s had a couple of forced changes, making it a test to see how players coped with finals-like intensity.
St John’s jumped Glen Eira but didn’t capitalise on its opportunities, finishing the quarter with a 3.5 to 0.1 lead.
Glen Eira gained the upper hand in the second quarter, kicking six goals, but St John’s hung on to a four-point lead at half-time.
A broken collarbone to forward Matt Nicholson meant changes.
In the third quarter, Rohan Scott found targets and Nathan Chalk – in his return game – found some welcome form by tearing up the defence. St John’s hammered home six goals to Glen Eira’s one.
With key players, including Darryn O’Connor, Dale Camm and Darryn Dick winning lots of the ball, St John’s added another five goals to one to run out 31-point winners.
The win, noted by club officials as the best in two years, showed St John’s can finish second, as long as it puts in a four-quarter effort against the in-form South Melbourne Districts.
St John’s 17.8 (110) d Glen Eira 11.13 (79).
Goals: R. Scott 5, D. Camm, G. Costas 3, R. Davis 2, N. Chalk, M. Nicholson, L. Mara, G. Roberts.
Best: N. Chalk, D. O’Connor, A. Pickering, R. Scott, D. Camm, D. Dick.
@BT Sub Sport News:RESERVES
For the second week in a row, an injury-depleted St John’s took to the field and faced off against second-placed Glen Eira.
A tight first quarter finished with St John’s in front by three points.
The inclusion of Chris Cachia seemed to lift the team, as it played textbook football and piled on seven goals in the second quarter. Glen Eira didn’t have a goal on the board at the main break.
In the second half, it was Glen Eira that came out blazing and by three-quarter-time had turned a 44-point deficit into a four-point lead.
To its credit, St John’s battled on in the final quarter, but with tired legs and no interchange players, could not keep up with Glen Eira, going down by 18 points.
Glen Eira 12.16 (88) d St John’s 11.4 (70).
Goals: M. Horbury 3, C. Cachia, C. Smith, N. Pouki 2, E. Jakwot, P. Ward.
Best: E. Jakwot, D. Jones, A. Moldrich, J. Ayama, A. Alexander, A. Dexter.
