By Brad Kingsbury
A SPATE of injuries to key players marred Keysborough’s 34-point defeat of Hampton Park at the Rowley Allen Reserve in round six Casey-Cardinia league play on Saturday.
The Burra change rooms resembled a hospital casualty unit after the contest, with four senior players nursing leg injuries of various severities, and several others suffering less serious bumps and bruises after the rugged contest.
Burra ruckman Sean Witherden will miss seven to eight weeks with a broken foot, while rising star centre half forward Tyson King will have a knee injury scanned and assessed this week with officials pessimistic that his 2008 season may be over.
Other players certain to be sidelined include Karl Shoenmaekers and Joe Scata, who, along with Witherden and King, were finished for the day well before three-quarter time, leaving the Burra with the bare 18 players and no chance to rest any of its troops.
However, the result went to the script thanks to Keysborough’s superiority in attack and it retained its top-of-the-table status with an unbeaten record after six rounds.
The Redbacks were without suspended hard nut Jack Besley but matched the Burra in the physical clinches, creating a real scrap in the opening half.
Captain Josh Taylor was dangerous in attack, while ball-carriers including Dean Jamieson, Matthew Dixon, Nathan Dawes and Chris Hussey took the game right up to their more fancied rivals.
A solid second term by the home side, led by goals to Luke McGuinness and King, helped create a five-goal buffer at half time and that proved telling, given Keysborough was forced into defending that lead after the injury onset in the third term.
The Redbacks tried hard to bridge the gap, but the poise of classy Burra stars led by William Gayfer, Clinton King and Shaun Daly saw their side to victory, and coach Greg Siwes said it was a good effort in the face of adversity.
“We played well when we needed to and when the injured players were off and the pressure was on, we performed the way you would want as a coach,” he said.
“Our run was good and we probably were just cleaner with the ball in the end.”
Siwes said Hampton Park’s persistence had not surprised him and he rated the Redbacks higher than many.
“We knew Hampton Park was always going to be tough to beat – they always are, no matter when or where you play them,” he said.
“They were good. They’re not as bad as everyone thinks. They’re getting a few players back and they’re definitely moving forward.”
The coach added that his club’s injuries were part of football and he would not be dwelling on them, but rather working towards giving other players the responsibility to rise to the challenge.
In other round six games, Narre Warren defeated Cranbourne by 66 points, Doveton downed ROC by 79, Pakenham overcame Devon Meadows by 37 points and Beaconsfield beat Tooradin by 82 points.
