By Marcus Uhe
A brutal opening to its round two clash against South Croydon helped Noble Park to extinguish any threat from a Bulldogs side with a point to prove on Saturday as the Bulls registered a second win from two starts and their first at home for season 2024 in the Eastern Football Netball League’s Premier division.
Noble Park kicked the first seven goals of the contest and finished the quarter 37 points ahead, never looking back to record a 13.9 87 to 4.4 28 result.
Matthew Nelson opened the scoring in the second minute after earning a freekick deep in the pocket, with the Bulls having moved the ball with ease from deep in defence.
Jordan Marson then instantly doubled the lead, emerging from the ensuing centre clearance with the football and goaling on the run from within the centre square at Pat Wright Senior Oval.
Forward-half pressure from Bulls made it three after 10 minutes, as Nathan Noblett’s tackling at centre-half-forward was rewarded with an unopposed run into an open goal, and Nelson made it four when he converted a set shot in the 16th minute.
Kevin Kean showed his small forward nous with a textbook front-and-centre roving effort and snap over his shoulder for the Bulls’ fifth, and a Marson intercept mark at halfback kickstarted a breezy passage of transition that saw Kean and captain Jackson Sketcher combine through the middle to provide Jake Mullen with an easy shot on goal, having slipped through the Bulldogs’ press.
When Marson added his second having weaved his way through some South Croydon pressure, the Bulls were in seventh heaven, having raced to a 43 point lead.
It took 25 minutes for the Bulldogs to scrounge its opening goal, but by the time they did, the damage had been done.
The remainder of the contest was played on an even keel, as the Bulls’ accuracy in the early stages began to desert them, kicking 6.8 after quarter time.
But South Croydon could only manage seven shots on goal for the remainder of the match after quarter time, meaning they were never going to kick a winning score.
Matt Nelson finished with two, and Joshua Stern three, while Matt’s brother,Tom Nelson kicked his first goal for the Bulls.
Through two matches the Bulls have the competition’s best defence, allowing less points than any other side in typical Noble Park fashion under Steve Hughes.
Elsewhere in the division, Rowville and Balwyn recorded comfortable wins over Norwood and Vermont, respectfully, while East Ringwood thrashed Doncaster East by 130 points in a statement result.
Noble Park heads to Berwick in round three.
