Wounded Bulls salvage win

By JARROD POTTER
THE injury list grew another two members longer at Noble Park, but despite the list of maladies befitting the back-to-back premiers, the Bulls managed to claim a crucial 36-point win over Knox.
With the side already scraping the barrel to find fit men, the Bulls held control over the visitors, kicking ahead through Shayne Allen (three goals) and George Angelopoulos (three) to hold a five-goal lead at the main break.
Disaster struck twice as key forward Ziggy Alwan dislocated his shoulder before Dan Galante backed into a pack and copped a knee to the abdomen – sending him to hospital with a lacerated kidney which will see him sit out the rest of the season.
There was plenty of charge still left in the wounded Bulls though – they snared three goals in the last quarter to hold onto the four points.
“We’re getting smashed and we’re trying to figure out what we’ve done wrong this year,” Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty said.
“Ziggy Alwan dislocated his shoulder and Dan Galante ended up in hospital with a lacerated kidney.
“Dan went back and showed a lot of courage to go back in the contest and copped a big knee in the kidney while Ziggy was fighting for the footy on the ground and it dislocated.
“Waiting on scans today to see how serious it is and if there’s ligament damage.”
With crisis comes opportunity and Noble Park’s young brigade has stepped up to fill the void, with Fogarty highlighting the effort of Chris Horton-Milne through the midfield in his first full year of senior football.
“It’s given that our young kids get a chance to play senior footy which is fantastic from a footy club,” Fogarty said.
“We were pretty happy with Chris Horton-Milne who was terrific through the midfield.
Tyson Mitchem was fantastic again on the footy, and down back Stewy and Bobby Kemperman and Jarryd Plymin were probably the mainstays at this stage.”
Noble Park faces South Croydon on Sunday.