By Marcus Uhe
Noble Park’s unblemished start to its 2022 Eastern Football Netball League premiership defence has come unstuck at home at the hands of Doncaster East.
An inaccurate Bulls side kicked 8.14 (62), to fall four goals short of their opponents (12.14 86) who moved to second on the table in Premier Division.
The inefficiency in front of goal began early, kicking 3.4 in the first term to only take an eight-point lead into the first break, despite three more shots on goal.
Amongst goals to Harley Fairbank, Jackson Casey and Ben Marson, misses by Kieren Byers and Bailey Thompson from set shots meant their advantage wasn’t what it could have been at quarter-time, despite dominating field position for much of the second half of the quarter, after conceding the first goal in the opening minute of play.
The ascendency in territory would continue for much of the second term, and when Byers snapped in heavy traffic at the 23 minute mark to give his side a 16-point lead, things were looking good for Steve Hughes’ men.
But three goals in the final four minutes to the Lions saw Noble Park relinquish the lead on the halftime siren, having succumbed to skill errors and intense forward pressure from their opponents.
Three Doncaster East goals were a direct result of forward pressure and turnovers in their front half, and the final came from a centre clearance in the final 20 seconds before the siren sounded, meaning the Bulls hit the rooms at half time having conceded all the momentum.
Doncaster East made it almost impossible for the Bulls to move the ball beyond halfway in the third term and completely reduced their ability to hit the scoreboard.
Matt Nelson kicked the only Bulls goal of the third period, as they entered the last quarter 16 points adrift.
The opening goal of the term was always going to carry plenty of significance, either tightening the gap or making the mountain even harder for the premiers to overcome.
When the Lions struck first, it proved a hammer blow.
No better indicator of the pressure came through an uncharacteristic turnover in the back half from Ryan Morrison, who was corralled into a miskick to a Doncaster East forward after being pressured on his left foot.
To make matters worse, another Lions forward in former Carlton and Brisbane midfielder Tom Bell was left alone 20 metres closer to goal, and marked uncontested, to the exasperation of Casey, who came to stand the mark.
While the resulting kick appeared to miss to the right, a three-way consultation between the goal, boundary and field umpire resulted in the goal being awarded and the margin reaching 30 points.
When Nelson kicked his second goal of the contest in the 24th minute of the final term, it broke a 37-minute goal drought for the Bulls, after missing four shots on goal earlier in the quarter.
The Bulls will be eager to return to the winner’s list next week when they welcome Norwood to Pat Wright Senior Oval.
Lachlan Wynd’s stellar start to the season has continued at Rowville, kicking another four in their 39-point round four victory over South Croydon.
It takes his tally to 15 in just three games, having bagged five against Balwyn and six last week against Park Orchards.
He didn’t find the big sticks until late in the second quarter, but it came at a critical time for the Hawks, who had just conceded three in a row to the Bulldogs and surrendered their quarter-time lead.
His second came at the end of a dominant Hawks quarter, kicking away with a five-goal-to-one period of football that would have had coach Ben Wise delighted.
With a 13-point lead at the long break, Rowville kicked the first four of the quarter and won the territory battle handsomely, gaining repeated inside 50 entries and locking the ball in their half of the ground.
When Wynd kicked his second of the game, a dropkick late in the quarter, it gave his side a 40-point buffer at the final break.
He kicked two more in the final term to eliminate any chances of a fightback from the Bulldogs, as the Hawks flew away winners 13.16 94 to 8.7 55.
Kyle Stainthorpe made a welcome return from injury to provide the trademark leadership and direction off half back, recognised as one of their best players in the contest.
Matthew Martini, meanwhile, continues to impress, hitting the scoreboard with two goals to go with his consistency at the contest and hard work in-and-under.
The win squares the win-loss ledger for the Hawks, having seemingly found the winning formula after a troubling start to the year in which they conceded sizable three-quarter-time leads in the opening two weeks.
Next week will be another major test, however, when they welcome East Ringwood to Seebeck Oval.
After a sensational victory against Vermont in round one, Berwick has now lost three in a row.
Poor efficiency in front of goal from Blackburn meant the margin didn’t balloon until the final term, despite a wide disparity in shots on goal.
Only 12 points separated the two sides heading into the final term, the biggest gap at any break, before Blackburn kicked away in the final quarter with five goals to Berwick’s one, to finish 38 points ahead.
Ruck/forward Charlie Muley kicked four of Clint Evans’ side’s seven goals, with two to Kyle O’Sullivan and one to Caydn Lane, in the 7.6 48 to 12.14 86 defeat.
Without their leading goalkicker in 2022, Harry Money, still on the comeback trail from injury, Berwick is struggling to score, sitting second last for total points scored, averaging just over 50 per game.
Things won’t get any easier next week for the 10th-placed Wickers, who head to Zerbes Reserve to face Doncaster East.
