By ROY WARD
‘BRING on Moorabbin’ was the cry from the Sandown Cobras change room as they prepare to face the Southern Football League division 3 ladder leaders this Saturday.
The Cobras notched a 50-point win over a young Endeavour Hills side on Saturday and showed their coach, Mick Rossborough, some pleasing signs of their ability to play their roles and keep the persistent Falcons from getting any closer than two goals.
Rossborough praised his side for opening the season with four wins and one loss heading into the clash with Moorabbin.
“This game will be a real test for our group,” he said. “But the good thing is we are all one unit and stick together. We have matured from last year and added a few good recruits. This will be a good challenge.”
After a spirited start from the Falcons, the more worldly Cobras took charge after the first 15 minutes of the first term and built a lead that grew as the game went on.
But the Falcons again showed improvement with good rebound play from midfielders Neil Peake, Michael Daly and Tom Carr-Lehne.
Falcons coach Matt Ashenden said the match was a frustrating one as his young side – in its second season in the SFL – played well but with poor patches.
“We fade out of games and that’s the frustrating part,” he said. “I think we’ve shown we are good enough to match it with the good sides as we have done well in parts of our games against Doveton Eagles, Moorabbin and Sandown, which I think are probably the three best in the competition.
“We are a young side. Today we had 17 players out there who weren’t at the club last season, so we now have to build some consistency in the side and build some of them into regular positions.”
Falcons star recruit Mitch Whatman could face several weeks out after re-injuring his shoulder just before three-quarter time.
Ashenden wasn’t sure how serious the injury was but was hopeful the key forward could return this season.
The Falcons have worked through a horror fixture to start the season and, despite sitting at one win and four losses, Ashenden believes his side will improve in the coming weeks.
“In the next month we need to build up our confidence and learn how to win. We haven’t had a good start but we have shown enough. We have a young side and teams like to test us physically. It’s up to the players to now lift their games and play out each quarter.”
In other division 3 matches, Doveton Eagles extended their undefeated start to five matches with a close win over Dandenong and Hallam scored its first win in the competition, beating Lyndale.
Division 2 side Springvale Districts regained its form and kicked seven goals in the last term to beat the Southern Dragons.
FINAL SCORES
Victorian Football League: Casey Scorpions 13.19 (97) d Box Hill 5.15 (45).
TAC Cup: Dandenong Stingrays 17.14 (116) d Queensland 10.11 (71).
Southern Football League:
Division 1: East Brighton 22.19 (151) d Heatherton 1.8 (14); Cheltenham 27.13 (175) d Dingley 6.8 (44); Chelsea Heights 13.8 (86) d Clayton 12.8 (80).
Division 2: Oakleigh District 13.9 (87) d East Malvern 12.10 (82); Springvale Districts 18.8(116) d Southern Dragons 7.4 (46).
Division 3: Caulfield 11.13 (79) d Mount Waverley 7.11 (53); Hallam 14.9 (93) d Lyndale 11.10 (76); Sandown 13.16 (94) d Endeavour Hills 6.8 (44); Doveton Eagles 9.12 (66) d Dandenong 7.6 (48).
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Balwyn 12.5 (77) d Lilydale 3.12(30); Scoresby 12.13 (85) d East Ringwood 11.17 (83); Noble Park 10.16 (76) d Blackburn 9.10 (64); East Burwood 17.8 (110) d Croydon 12.6 (78); Norwood 7.7 (49) d Knox 6.12 (48); South Croydon 14.15 (99) lt Vermont 14.25 (109).
Division 2: Rowville 9.18 (72) d Bayswater 6.12 (48); Doncaster 13.4 (82) d Mulgrave 9.15 (69); Montrose 18.19 (127) d Waverley Blues 9.8 (62); Mooroolbark 19.19 (133) d Upper Ferntree Gully 8.6 (54).
Division 3: Boronia 13.13 (91) d Coldstream 10.13 (73); North Ringwood 12.10 (82) d Ringwood 11.14 (80); Heathmont 13.13 (91) d Wantirna South 12.15 (87); Chirnside Park 12.18 (90) d Mitcham 7.11 (53); Glen Waverley Hawks 12.13 (85) d Warrandyte 9.7 (61).
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Doveton 13.5 (83) d Berwick 8.11 (59); Keysborough 9.14 (68) d ROC 6.8 (44); Narre Warren 14.17(101) d Pakenham 5.7 (37); Tooradin-Dalmore 16.10 (106) d Beaconsfield 15.9 (99).
For full results, click on Scoreboard link at right above.
THIS WEEK
Victorian Football League: Casey Scorpions, bye.
TAC Cup: Dandenong Stingrays, bye.
Southern Football League:
Division 1: Clayton v Dingley, Meade Reserve 2pm; Heatherton v Cheltenham, Ross Street Reserve 2pm.
Division 2: Oakleigh District v Southern Dragons, Princes Highway Reserve 2pm; Springvale Districts v Bentleigh, Springvale Reserve 2pm.
Division 3: Lyndale v Caulfield, Barry Powell Reserve 2pm; Endeavour Hills v Hallam, Barry Simon Reserve 2pm; Mount Waverley v Dandenong, Mayfield Reserve 2pm; Doveton Eagles v Ashwood, Power Reserve 2pm; Sandown v Moorabbin, Edinburgh Reserve 2.30pm.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: South Croydon v East Burwood, Cheong Park 2.10pm; East Ringwood v Knox, East Ringwood Reserve 2.10pm; Croydon v Vermont, Hughes Park 2.10pm; Norwood v Lilydale, Mullum Reserve 2.10pm; Scoresby v Noble Park, Scoresby Recreation Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 2: Bayswater v Donvale, Bayswater Oval 2.10pm; Upper Ferntree Gully v Doncaster, Kings Park 2.10pm; Montrose v Mooroolbark, Montrose Reserve 2.10pm; Waverley Blues v Rowville, Mt Waverley Reserve 2.10pm; Doncaster East v Mulgrave, Zerbes Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 3: Coldstream v Templestowe, Coldstream Reserve 2.10pm; Heathmont v Glen Waverley Hawks, HE Parker Reserve 2.10pm; Ringwood v Boronia, Jubilee Park 2.10pm; North Ringwood v Warrandyte, Quambee Reserve 2.10pm; Mitcham v Wantirna South, Walker Park 2.10pm; Whitehorse Pioneers v Chirnside Park, Whitehorse Reserve 2.10pm.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne v Tooradin-Dalmore, Casey Fields, 2.15pm; Narre Warren v Berwick, Kalora Park, 2.15pm; Hampton Park v Pakenham, LS Reid Oval, 2.15pm; ROC v Doveton, Officer Recreation Reserve, 2.15pm; Beaconsfield v Keysborough, Perc Allison Oval, 2.15pm.
All games on Saturday unless otherwise stated.
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