By Roy Ward
THE more the players change the more things stay the same.
Noble Park kept pace with the leaders in the Eastern Football League division 1 competition with a 45-point win over Croydon in boggy conditions at Hughes Park on Saturday.
But the win cost the Bulls three injuries. Emerging player Trent Cody is expected to miss the rest of the season with a suspected broken ankle. Experienced midfielder Andrew McConnell also went down with an ankle injury and forward George Angelopoulos suffered a corked thigh, although both players could still be right for the next match.
Bulls coach Mick Fogarty said his defence had guided the club to victory over the lowly Blues, with Mladen Josic, Jarrod Plymin, Stewart Kemperman and Robert Kemperman all among their best players.
“Josic, Plymin and [Robert] Kemperman were all terrific as the ball kept coming into our back line and they kept getting it out.”
Fogarty said his players were exhausted from the conditions, which included boggy mud, and a spirited performance from the Blues.
“All we can do is keep winning.
“Croydon was pretty good and had a real crack. We were happy to get a game under some of our players who have been out, like Luke Mann and others.
“It was a pretty tough day and that boggy mud was really heavy on the players’ legs. It took a lot out of the guys.”
The Bulls are yet to get a firm idea about Ziggy Alwan’s shoulder injury but the star midfielder has been responding well to recovery work on the shoulder.
“If he keeps strengthening it he might be able to play again, but we are not real sure,” Fogarty said. “We’ll get a better indication when he sees a surgeon this week, but he may not play again this year either.”
Bulls forward Shayne Allan kicked four goals in the game to take his lead in the division 1
goal kicking out to 10 goals over Scoresby’s Chris Hoegel. Allan has kicked 50 goals.
The Bulls host Blackburn at Pat Wright Senior Oval at 2.10pm this Saturday.
EFL division 1: Norwood 48 points, 130.44 per cent; Balwyn 44, 147.55; Vermont 44, 130.92; Scoresby 44, 129.67; Noble Park 44, 124.47; Lilydale 28, 101.29; East Burwood 28, 99.03; Knox 24, 85.39; East Ringwood 20, 87.38; Blackburn 20, 82.61; South Croydon 12, 69.33; Croydon 4, 64.58.
– Roy Ward
