Merciless Magpies

By Brad Kingsbury
THE writing was on the wall in the first 30 seconds of Saturday’s grand final when Narre Warren’s spiritual leader Brett Evans marked and goaled from 15 metres-Keysborough was out of its depth.
The events of the next two hours proved to all just how far behind the Casey Cardinia league yardstick the gallant Burras were, as the Magpies exacted a painful and merciless 131-point football execution on an oval that they can now quite rightly claim as their other home ground.
It was Narre Warren’s third straight premiership and the easiest of all in a continuing era of domination. The crowd at the Edwin Flack Reserve lost interest in the contest after Narre Warren slammed on four goals in six minutes half way through the second term.
Keysborough players followed suit soon after and, unfortunately, the league’s showcase match of the season became a Magpie procession and little more than a series of training drills in perfect spring conditions after half time.
Both teams remained unchanged from their last outings with coaches Matthew Shinners and Greg Siwes selecting their sides based on run and attack.
Narre Warren was hot favourites to win a third straight pennant but Keysborough was a wildcard.
Both sides opened the game with strong and direct attacks on the ball with even the most experienced players fumbling as early nerves took their toll.
After a goal each in the first six minutes, Keysborough star Tyson King missed two shots with the breeze and the Magpies capitalised with Shane Brewster and Lee Clark adding goals along with a second to Evans, creating a 22-point quarter-time lead.
It was not the margin that was significant, but the way the Burra had stopped like rabbits in a spotlight when the pressure was applied, and not even the loss of Magpie Ryan Stanes to a knee injury could provide a boost.
Keysborough did not enter their forward 50 in the last six minutes of the first quarter and despite starting the second term with two quick goals, the scene was set for the Magpies.
Ricky Clark, Michael Collins and Shane Brewster took control of the midfield, while youngsters in Chris Collins and Matthew Werner decided it was showtime in attack and the Magpies shot away to a 57-point half time lead with a nine-goal to one burst.
Five of those majors came in time-on despite Siwes rearranging his side in an effort to stop the bleeding.
Burra defenders Corey Wilkinson, Daniel Born and Michael Downie battled hard but were left high and dry by their team-mates excluding Clinton King, whose work rate was superb all day.
The second half degenerated into a farce with Narre Warren booting a further 14.13 to 3.5 before the game was abandoned at the 25-minute mark of the final term due to umpires’ safety concerns after drunken brawls broke out near the fence between the coaches boxes.
There was little to keep the crowd entertained on field, however those who were still interested in the football witnessed one of the best goals of the year in the third term when Magpie Nick Scanlon kicked accurately from 45 metres at full pace after burning down the wing and taking four bounces.
Siwes was gutted by his side’s capitulation and said it was a sad end on a rollercoaster season. The simple fact was that his side could not match their opposition either physically or mentally after a tough finals campaign.
“We were way outclassed,” he lamented.
“Our blokes were that disappointing to go from where we were two weeks ago to that. The way we played was embarrassing.
“To be honest, in the back of my mind I had a feeling they weren’t switched on, but that effort … it was unacceptable.
“We were five metres from our opponents, we weren’t man-on-man, they ran around us and that was it for the day.
“When you get smashed like that it rips your heart out.”
Siwes even went as far as to indicate that defeated preliminary finalists Pakenham would have put up a better fight.
“Everybody is saying it was a good year and all that but the effort was pitiful and Pakenham wouldn’t have got beaten like that. That’s why Narre was worried about Pakenham.
“We have to work on developing the hunger and I hope (the players) hurt badly. They should.
“There can’t be any pats on the back out of this one,” he said.