By David Nagel
A taller, stronger and fitter looking Beaconsfield is on the board in Eastern Division One after a comprehensive 31-point victory over Bayswater at Holm Park Reserve.
Looking a superior unit to the one that finished seventh – with six wins – in its inaugural season in Eastern, the Eagles rode a fast start and a brave defensive effort against the breeze in the second term to a 10.7.67 to 5.6.36 triumph.
With Brandon White, Josh Mounter and Lachie Valentine creative across half back, and Jafar Ocaa and skipper Jake Bowd proving a handful up forward…the Eagles looked sharp in the lead up to quarter time.
Bowd kicked two for the quarter, but played a key hand in four of the Eagles five first-quarter goals.
He opened the scoring after receiving a bullet pass from Sam Merrick, after some intense midfield pressure forced a turnover.
He then won a free-kick from close range, with Mitch Szybkowski pouncing on the subsequent loose ball to kick his first goal for the season.
Bowd then gathered a ball on the boundary, between wing and half forward, and provided run and carry before hitting Ocaa on the chest at the top of the goal-square with a raking left foot.
Mounter then launched a bomb from outside 50, before Bowd kicked a goal on the siren after some great lead up play from White and Hayden Brough.
The Kangaroos answered with the only goal of the second term, to Josh Treeby, to see the Eagles take a 14-point lead to the major interval.
The Eagles then held the Kangaroos scoreless in the third quarter, while slotting three majors themselves to take control of the contest.
Devon Smith goaled after a superb hit-up from Darren Minchington, before Ocaa received a free-kick and 50 as the visitors’ frustrations grew stronger and stronger.
Some brilliant forward pressure from Brough then allowed Ocaa to stroll in for his third of the afternoon.
Bayswater came hard early in the final term, but a fourth to Ocaa, and first to Minchington – on the siren – capped off a good day at the office for the home side.
Eagles coach Mick Fogarty said it wasn’t an illusion that the Eagles looked a better prepared and deeper unit this season.
“We’ve got some serious depth, which is great, we’ve got a group of guys running around in the development team that could easily play a role at senior level,” Fogarty said.
“We’ve got more strength around the footy and the boys are fit, they’ve had a really good pre-season.
“I know I bang on about it a lot, but it’s a relentless competition this one, a real four-quarter game is required, so we need that conditioning to compete.
“Even on Saturday, Bayswater got a bit of momentum there in the second quarter and put some scoreboard pressure on, so our focus is on our fitness this year so we can run games out, and stay in the contest longer.”
The Eagles do look bigger and stronger this year, with players like Paddy Gerdan and Harrison Coe getting regular time on the park, while Minchington, Mounter and White add class and grunt in various areas of the ground.
“Minchington played his first game, he kicked one goal four, but he’s going to be a player we can throw through the mids as well, with his strength and his smarts,” Fogarty explained.
“We’ve got some taller options; White gives us flexibility across half back and on the footy, so we’ve got more options in most areas of the ground.
“If we’re struggling with the game-plan up forward, we can throw big Harry (Coe) up there as a tall.
“We’ve got White, Mounter gives us that offence run off half back, and it allows us to be more flexible with Jafar (Ocaa) and Bowdy up forward.
“They give us speed and a bit of lead up around forward and that’s always dangerous.”
After a hard-fought first-up loss to premiership aspirant Mitcham, and now the win over the Kangas, the Eagles know they are going to be competitive against all teams in the competition.
The secret now; is to take things to the next step.
“Sides like Bayswater, which we played on the weekend, they would have pencilled that game in for them, and we did the same thing,” Fogarty said.
“Last year we didn’t win a lot of the 50/50 games and for our phase of development going forward we need to turn competitiveness into wins.
“It’s only two games in, we were competitive against Mitcham in round one, but instead of just being competitive we thought we could win.
“We didn’t, but the same applied against Bayswater, and it’s the same thing against Croydon this week.
“It’s at Croydon, they played finals last year; they’re a good side.
“We know we’re going to be competitive, but we need to start turning good performances into wins.
“We’re not going to get the result every time, but that’s the next phase of the Beaconsfield footy club and its development over the next few years.”
White was again outstanding for the Eagles across half back in a best-on-ground performance, while Szybkowski and Tylah Stokoe led the midfield dominance.
BEACONSFIELD 5.0 5.1 8.5 10.7(67)
BAYSWATER 1.2 2.5 2.5 5.6(36)
Beaconsfield Goals: J. Ocaa 4, J. Bowd 2, J. Mounter, D. Smith, D. Minchington, M. Szybkowski. Best: B. White, J. Ocaa, T. Stokoe, M. Szybkowski, E. Harris, L. Valentine.
Other games: Croydon 5.8.38 def by Mooroolbark 13.16.94, Montrose 10.15.75 def by South Belgrave 14.11.95, North Ringwood 8.15.63 def Lilydale 5.6.36, Wantirna South 13.14.92 def by Mitcham 16.13.109.
