By JARROD POTTER
SMASHING apart the Western Region Football League (WRFL), six Noble Park footballers played exceptionally to guide Eastern Football League (EFL) back towards the top of the AFL Victoria Metropolitan Championships.
Six of the best Bulls – Stewart Kemperman, Shayne Allan, Glen Manson, Ziggy Alwan, Jackson Sketcher and Sam Monaghan – took to Princes Park on Saturday with one mission: returning the Eastern Football League to the top echelon of the Metro rankings.
The best efforts of the WRFL weren’t enough to match pace with Eastern’s power packed midfield or its high-flying forwards.
Despite a gallant fight back from the underdog Westerners, the Eastern force charged ahead to record an emphatic 34-point win.
It was a Noble Park flavour to the start of the match as Shayne Allan (three goals) slotted the EFL’s first of 13 for the interleague clash.
Glen Manson’s efforts through the ruck gave the red, white and black brigade first use of the pill as Eastern ran out to a three-goal lead at half-time.
Showing why he will be a handful back in the Eastern league this year, Bulls’ forward Ziggy Alwan (two goals) popped up for characteristic strong marks and two goals in a sign of things to come.
Also making the switch from Frankston Dolphins to the Bullring, former Noble Park junior Jackson Sketcher popped up for the match-clinching goal in a superb effort throughout the forward half.
Balwyn’s Luke Barker (four goals) led the EFL charge while Norwood’s Matt Aver was named the EFL’s best on ground medallist.
The win promotes the EFL back in to the battle-for-first and will face the VAFA in next year’s AFL Victoria Metropolitan Championship clash.
AFL VIC METRO CHAMPIONSHIPS
EFL
1.3 6.4 10.6 13.8 (88)
WRFL
2.4 3.5 5.6 8.6 (54)
EFL Goals: L. Barker 4, S. Allan 3, Z. Alwan 2, J. Sketcher, L. Williams, L. Williams, J. Holmes. Best: M. Aver, G. Manson, S. Allan, A. Parker, L. Williams.
