By Paul Pickering
THE Doveton Eagles kept their Division Three finals hopes alive with a stirring final-quarter fightback against Canterbury on Saturday.
The Eagles were on the brink of elimination from the finals race at three-quarter-time, down 16 points in a must-win game against the fourth-placed Cobras.
Coach Barry Giddens implored his charges to dig deep and they responded, kicking five goals to one in a rousing final term.
“The focus (at the break) was to continue to be positive,” Giddens reflected post-match.
“I told them the onus was on the 21 players out there to decide whether their season was over today or we would keep our finals dreams alive.”
The rally was led by veteran skipper Paul Davis, who lifted to complement the four-quarter contributions of ruckman Hugh Moller, on-ballers Troy Humphries and Brett Hidgcock and dour defender Matt Fristad.
Grant Wyett also played a crucial role, nullifying Canterbury captain-coach Daniel Pearce when the game was on the line. Burly spearhead Ricky Ramsdale and Steve Wright booted three goals each, while Darren Ramsdale, Steve Ognjenovic and Humphries slotted two apiece.
The Eagles are now equal with Canterbury on points, but they remain significantly behind on percentage.
Giddens knows his team will probably have to win all three of their remaining games to oust the Cobras from fourth spot.
They should claim two of those against Cerberus and Dandenong, so the final round clash with ladder-leader Mount Waverley is shaping as a virtual final.
Elsewhere in Division Three, Dandenong’s woes continued with a 94-point loss to finals-bound South Yarra.
The Demons had no answer for Yarras forward David Grahek, who bagged an even dozen.
Dandenong’s Pat Henderson (four) and Ben O’Donnell (three) combined for seven goals, while consistent contributors Preoshun Poonaswamy, Sareth Suon and Vaughan Geddes found their share of the footy.
Sandown had another dark day against Mount Waverley, going down by 125 points at home despite the efforts of Shane Cosstick, Daniel Mulvogue and Zain Machfud.
In Division One, Springvale Districts got jumped by Chelsea Heights in the first quarter and never recovered.
Chelsea Heights surged to a 40-point lead by the first break, before cruising home to win by 57 points.
Steve Aitken, Nigel Scott and Travis Skidmore were among the Demons who could hold their heads high, but Springvale Districts is now assured of a bottom three finish.
In Division Two, Lyndale lost every quarter of their away clash with Murrumbeena, losing by 70 points.
Ruckman Chris Briggs and rugged on-baller Jeff Dudi were among few winners for the Pumas.
Meanwhile, Dingley extended its unbeaten streak to 15 with a 53-point victory over Oakleigh Districts.
Robert Mullin booted five goals for the Dingoes, while Chris Morgan was a dominant force in the ruck.
Round 16 match-ups: Division One: St Kilda City at Springvale Districts. Division Two: Black Rock at Lyndale, Dingley at Caulfield. Division Three: Dandenong at Canterbury, Skye at Sandown, Doveton Eagles at Cerberus.
