By ROY WARD
FOR three quarters Noble Park looked on shaky ground against a hard-running South Croydon at Pat Wright Senior Oval on Saturday.
But all that was forgotten in the final 20 minutes of the last term as the Bulls blew the Bulldogs away, going from six points up to winning by 46 points on the back of a 10-goal final term.
The two-time Eastern Football League division 1 premiers will learn much from the game, their first without captain and star midfielder Craig Anderson, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.
Nevertheless, the final term gave Bulls coach Mick Fogarty plenty to smile about. “We scored a few of those goals in garbage time but we will take them any way we can,” he said.
Fogarty was quick to remind his players they needed to improve their performance when they visit Balwyn on Queen’s Birthday Saturday in their annual stand-alone fixture.
The Bulldogs repeatedly opened the Bulls up through midfield and in the forward line during the opening term.
The visitors’ youthful legs and long kicking consistently resulted in goals, but those young legs couldn’t maintain the pace when the Bulls surged.
“South Croydon opened us up and I think they will be a little disappointed to lose like that because they had played well,” Fogarty said.”They played ‘plus one’ in defence all day and kept two players on Ziggy Alwan, which made us work to get the ball into our forwards.”
Fogarty also praised the three under-19 eligible Bulls who played against the Bulldogs. Chris Horton-Milne, Tom Wilkinson and Luke Cody all performed well in a fiery contest that included an all-in melee after the three-quarter-time siren.
He said the Bulls coaches were originally concerned about the body strength of the trio before their performance on Saturday. “We put those three into senior football even though they are under-19 eligible. They are actually playing bloody good football for us at the moment.”
With the annual clash with Balwyn on the horizon, Fogarty said his side had plenty to work for leading into this Saturday. “It’s going to be a tough challenge but we look forward to it every year. We will have to play well to get them on their ground.”
Alwan was still influential in the game. Craig Jacotine, Stewart Kemperman and Brad Scalzo were the best for the Bulls with forwards Luke Mann and Shayne Allen, who revelled in the final-term stampede.
The Bulls face Balwyn Tigers at Balwyn Park at 2.10pm this Saturday. It is the only EFL game this weekend.
FINAL SCORES
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions 14.15 (99) d Northern Blues 6.8 (44).
TAC Cup:
Calder Cannons 16.9 (105) d Dandenong Stingrays 10.10 (70).
Southern Football League:
Division 1: Heatherton 11.9 (75) d Highett 10.8 (68); Dingley 18.12 (120) d Mordialloc 0.8 (8); Clayton 15.7 (97) d St Paul’s 12.7 (79).
Division 2: Oakleigh District 21.13 (139) d Black Rock 10.16 (76); Springvale Districts 10.7 (67) d Skye 6.15 (51); Southern Dragons 4.0 (24) d Hampton 0.0 (0).
Division 3:Moorabbin 26.13 (169) d Hallam 8.3 (51); Endeavour Hills 11.13 (79) d Dandenong 9.12 (66); Ashwood 38.15 (243) d Lyndale 8.6 (54); Mount Waverley 11.10 (76) d Doveton Eagles 9.15 (69); Sandown 13.14(92) d Caulfield 8.10 (58).
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: East Ringwood 19.15 (129) d Croydon 15.9(99); Balwyn 11.11 (77) d Scoresby 10.10 (70); Blackburn 15.11 (101) d Lilydale 9.14 (68); East Burwood 5.12 (42) d Norwood 20.10 (130); Noble Park 20.14 (134) d South Croydon 13.10 (88); Vermont 10.13 (73) d Knox 6.7 (43).
Division 2: Mooroolbark 12.6 (78) d Rowville 9.13 (67); Waverley Blues 14.8 (92) d Donvale 13.11 (89); Montrose 25.15 (165) d Doncaster 7.10 (52); Doncaster East 17.17 (119) d Upper Ferntree Gully 16.12 (108); Bayswater 23.19 (157) d Mulgrave 7.10 (52).
Division 3: Templestowe 12.9 (81) d Chirnside Park 8.5(53); Glen Waverley Hawks 12.16 (88) d Boronia 12.13 (85); North Ringwood 12.11 (83) d Heathmont 7.7(49); Warrandyte 17.10 (112) d Mitcham 16.12 (108); Ringwood 21.17 (143) d Whitehorse Pioneers 7.8 (50); Wantirna South 20.13 (133) d Coldstream 9.13 (67).
Division 4: Ferntree Gully 17.12 (114) d Park Orchards 14.6 (90); Silvan 18.14 (122) d Canterbury 8.6 (54); Nunawading 16.16 (112) d Kilsyth 10.10 (70); The Basin 15.17 (107) d South Belgrave 14.11 (95).
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Berwick 16.10 (106) d Pakenham 5.8 (38); ROC 22.14 (146) d Hampton Park 6.7 (43); Doveton 12.12 (84) d Beaconsfield 10.9 (69); Cranbourne 30.22 (202) d Keysborough 5.7 (37); Narre Warren 17.10 (112) d Tooradin-Dalmore 13.11 (89).
For full results click on Greater Dandenong Latest Sport Results link at above right.
THIS WEEK
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions v Collingwood, Casey Fields, 2pm.
TAC Cup:
Dandenong Stingrays bye; Eastern Ranges bye; Oakleigh Chargers bye.
Southern Football League:
Division 1: Bye, next round June 16. Clayton v Mordialloc, Meade Reserve 2pm; Chelsea Heights v Heatherton, Beazley Reserve 2.30pm; Dingley v East Brighton, Souter Oval 2.30pm.
Division 2: Bye, next round June 16. Bentleigh v Southern Dragons, Bentleigh Reserve 2pm; Skye v Oakleigh District, Carrum Downs Reserve 2pm; Murrumbeena v Springvale Districts, Murrumbeena Park 2pm.
Division 3: Bye, next round June 16. Endeavour Hills v Ashwood, Essex Heights Reserve 2pm; Dandenong v Sandown, Greaves Reserve 2pm; Caulfield v Hallam, Koornang Park Reserve 2pm; Doveton Eagles v Lyndale, Power Reserve 2pm; Moorabbin v Mount Waverley, Widdop Crescent Reserve 2pm.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Balwyn v Noble Park, Balwyn Park 2.10pm this Saturday. Rest of round June 16, East Ringwood v South Croydon, East Ringwood Reserve 2.10pm; Knox v Blackburn, Knox Gardens Reserve 2.10pm; Lilydale v Vermont, Lilydale Sports Oval 2.10pm; Norwood v Croydon, Mullum Reserve 2.10pm; Scoresby v East Burwood, Scoresby Recreation Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 2: Bye, next round June 16. Bayswater v Waverley Blues, Bayswater Oval 2.10pm; Donvale v Rowville, Donvale Reserve 2.10pm; Mooroolbark v Mulgrave, Heights Reserve 2.10pm; Montrose v Upper Ferntree Gully, Montrose Reserve 2.10pm; Doncaster East v Doncaster, Zerbes Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 3: Bye, next round June 16. Glen Waverley Hawks v Wantirna South, Capital Reserve 2.10pm; Heathmont v Coldstream, HE Parker Reserve 2.10pm; Ringwood v Templestowe, Jubilee Park 2.10pm; North Ringwood v Chirnside Park, Quambee Reserve 2.10pm; Boronia v Warrandyte, Tormore Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 4: Bye, next round June 16. The Basin v Park Orchards, Batterham Reserve 2.10pm; Ferntree Gully v Kilsyth, Ferntree Gully Reserve 2.10pm; Forest Hill v South Belgrave, Forest Hill Reserve 2.10pm; Nunawading v Canterbury, Koonung Reserve 2.10pm; Silvan v Eastern Lions, Silvan Recreation Reserve 2.10pm; Surrey Park, bye.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne v Doveton, Casey Fields, 2.15pm; Narre Warren v Keysborough, Kalora Park, 2.15pm; Hampton Park v Berwick, LS Reid, 2.15pm; Beaconsfield v ROC, Perc Allison Oval, 2.15pm; Pakenham v Tooradin-Dalmore, Toomuc Reserve, 2.15pm.
All games on Saturday unless otherwise stated.
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