By David Nagel
Beaconsfield has scored the best of its 20 wins since joining the Eastern Football Netball League in 2022 after the Eagles overcame last year’s preliminary finalist Montrose in a grinding contest on Saturday.
The Eagles gave up three goals in the opening eight minutes of play before outplaying the Demons on their way to a confidence-building 12.11(83) to 10.5(65) victory at Montrose.
Beaconsfield won six games in its inaugural season in Eastern Division One, before improving that to 10 last year to qualify fourth for an elimination final against North Ringwood.
But of those initial 16 wins, only two came against teams that would go on to qualify for finals.
This was the best of their four wins this season, against a team that is expected to be at the pointy end of the competition this year.
Things couldn’t have started any worse for Mick Fogarty’s team, with Demons’ key forward Ryan Garthwaite making it a one-man show in the early stages of the contest.
Garthwaite out-marked his direct opponent Declan Curran to kick the game’s first after four minutes of play, before capitalising on a rare defensive error from Lachie Modica in the back half.
When Garthwaite then marked a ‘chaos-ball’ in the forward-50; the Demons were three goals up after eight minutes.
But the Eagles soon gained the ascendency, with Tylah Stokoe, Damien Johnston, Nathan Wright and Devon Smith tightening things up in the midfield.
Mackay Bateson kicked the Eagles first after some great vision from Hayden Brough, before Bateson turned provider to allow Myles Currie to run into an open goal.
The Eagles squared things away after Charlie Muley kicked a set shot, before Garthwaite kicked his fourth for the opening quarter to give the Demons a three-point lead.
Beaconsfield once again surrendered an early goal in the second, before two long bombs from Currie and Ocaa gave the visitors a two-point advantage.
Stokoe was then unluckily yellow carded for a rough tackle, before Garthwaite kicked his fifth to give the home side a two-point lead at the major interval.
The Eagles upped the ante in the third term, with the relentless running of Modica, Josh Mounter and Kobe Shipp – and brilliant defensive work of Jake Bowd and Brandon White – keeping the Demons at bay.
Bateson converted two set shots, both from free kicks, at the start of the third, and the Eagles led by nine.
Garthwaite was then once again too strong in the goal-square, kicking his sixth, before Currie turned nothing into something; 14 minutes into the third.
Mounter’s hard-running from centre-wing then paid dividends with a classy crumbing goal and the Eagles had almost cracked the game open.
But that man Garthwaite did it again; kicking a great snap on the three-quarter-time siren to cut the Eagles’ margin to 13 with a quarter left to play.
Beaconsfield had the perfect start to the last quarter with Brough slotting a clever right-foot snap, before Garthwaite kicked his eighth to answer a minute later.
When Jack Garthwaite then kicked his first, the margin was cut to seven with 13 minutes ticked off the clock.
Bowd was having a hugely influential final term and played a leading role in the final two goals of the match.
At the 18-minute mark he intercepted a Demons’ forward thrust; passed to Johnston, who then found Modica for a running goal.
Garthside then narrowly missed his last shot at goal for a ninth.
A long kick out from White was brilliantly marked by Bowd, who found Mounter on the wing.
The classy right-footer then spotted up Muley; who kicked truly…to lock the game up and throw away the key.
The cream had risen to the surface; the Eagles now four-and-one and in second place on the ladder.
Bateson and Currie kicked three each for the Eagles in lively displays up forward, while Muley kicked two important goals while also playing as a back-up ruck to Mitch Summers.
Modica was everywhere for the winners, putting his height and pace to good use across wing and half-back, while Curran stuck to his guns against a bigger opponent in Garthwaite.
The challenges just keep getting bigger and bolder for the second-placed Eagles, who host the undefeated Park Orchards at Holm Park Reserve on Saturday.
The action kicks off at 2.20pm.
MONTROSE 4.0 6.1 8.3 10.5(65)
BEACONSFIELD 3.3 5.5 9.10 12.11(83)
Montrose Goals: Ryan Garthwaite 8, Jack Garthwaite, Bailey White. Best: Ryan Garthwaite, Greg Lord, Geordie Nagle, Liam Canny, Bradley Watson, Taj Heap.
Beaconsfield Goals: Mackay Bateson 3, Myles Currie 3, Charlie Muley 2, Jafar Ocaa, Josh Mounter, Hayden Brough, Lachlan Modica. Best: Lachlan Modica, Mackay Bateson, Kobe Shipp, Joshua Mounter, Brandon White, Jake Bowd.
Other Games: Mooroolbark 11.8(74) def Bayswater 9.10(64), North Ringwood 7.18(60) def by Doncaster 11.12(78), Park Orchards 16.11(107) def South Belgrave 10.16(76), Wantirna South 11.8(74) def by Mitcham 20.18(138).
Ladder: Park Orchards 20, Beaconsfield 16, Montrose, South Belgrave, Bayswater 12, Mitcham, Doncaster, Mooroolbark 8, North Ringwood 4, Wantirna South 0.
Fixture R6: Beaconsfield (2) v Park Orchards (1), Bayswater (5) v Montrose (3), Doncaster (7) v Mitcham (6), North Ringwood (9) v Wantirna South (10), South Belgrave (4) v Mooroolbark (8).
