By JARROD POTTER
Eastern Football League – round 1
SEASON’S start did not pan out ideally for Noble Park after a second-half implosion against Montrose.
Newly promoted to Division 1, Montrose stormed back into the clash approaching half-time before turning on the scramjets in the third term.
Bulls’ recruit and former junior Piva Wright (hamstring) had pinch-hit successfully in the ruck and up forward through the first half, but was put on ice as a hamstring injury brought his first senior EFL match to a premature end.
It left the Bulls down a rotation and Montrose seized the advantage through the third term.
The Demons went monstrously well in front of goals in the third term as Billy Schilling and Rowan Hore kicked Montrose from deficit to advantage with three quick goals.
Seven-goals-to-two in the third term, including a last-second snap from Demons’ crumber Sam Goodman, pushed the margin out to 13 at the final change.
Noble Park held in the clash through a goal to former Dandenong Stingray Clay McCartney and experience paid off in front of goals as Stewart Kemperman, Brett Dore and Shayne Allan all picked up a pair of majors each.
Down by 31 at three-quarter-time, new coach Jon Knight told his players loudly and bluntly they had failed through the term and wanted something positive to come from the last quarter.
Noble Park found four early goals in the last term before the Demons fought back and clinched the match through a Hore crumbing goal before Goodman kicked the lucky last goal in Montrose’s first win in Division 1.
Andrew Haining locked horns with Noble’s Glen Manson in an interesting ruck battle all afternoon, but Haining would claim victory as he gave first use to the likes of coach Brett Johnson and new recruit Andrew Walker through the centre.
Chris Horton-Milne showed he’s a force to reckon with in the EFL this season as he gutted out the match through the midfield while the Kempermans – Rob and Stewart – and Trent Robertson were listed as the best afield.
“For a start we didn’t get our hands on the footy – we turned it over and when they went forward they kicked goals and when we did we either kicked it to them or for behinds,” Knight said.
“We weren’t accountable enough going through the middle and they were really good on the spread – quicker than us and keen, and showed us how to play contested footy.”
Noble Park host Lilydale on Saturday from 2.10pm.
