Above: It’s far from dusty, but Industrials Ben Hobgen grips the ball.
By Ken Moore
BARRING a most unlikely form turnaround, Catani can be removed from the roll of final contenders after a 35-point home ground loss to Warragul Industrials on Saturday.
It was the Dusties’ first victory at Taplin Road since 1999.
An under-strength Blues line-up, without stars Luke Tyrell, Owen Fitzpatrick and Antonio Benevento, tried hard and trailed by only eight points at the last break before the Dusties exploited their tiring opponents in the last quarter.
Disappointingly for their fans, the Blues did not score after half-time.
Catani has only one victory this season and sits 10 points below sixth-placed Neerim Neerim South.
Five centimetres of rain in the 48 hours before the game made the ground heavy under foot up and down the central corridor – and hence there was little attractive football.
The Industrials kicked against a two-to-three-goal wind in the first quarter but fired the opening salvo when Shane Brewster and Chris Potalej dobbed majors inside the opening 10 minutes. From then on little separated the two teams until three-quarter-time.
Early in the second quarter, Blues recruit Beau Ridgeway produced a wonderful snap on goal with his non-preferred right foot to reduce the margin to seven points before two goals by Dusties’ livewire Daniel Johnson extended the visitors’ lead to 21 points mid term.
In the latter part of the quarter the home side lifted and with goals by change ruckman-forward Cam Miller and Daniel Strahan, it reeled in the deficit to only seven points at the main break.
The third quarter was a real tug of war and an uneventful affair and, while the Dusties had the better of possessions, neither side managed a goal and only eight points separated them at three-quarter-time.
Last-quarter goals by Johnson, his third, and Potalej (his second) and another by well-performed wingman Ayden Mills gave the visitors what turned out to be a resounding victory.
The Dusties had plenty of good performers led by their midfielders, recruit Ben Campbell, Daniel Johnson, Shane Brewster and Chris Potalej. Shane Ingram and Nathan Brewster did plenty of the grunt work around the packs while ruckman Ben Hobgen generated plenty of centre clearances in the last half.
Catani turned in a game effort for three quarters. Captain Luke McFarlane kept his eyes peeled on the ball all game and was superb in defence, midfielders Nat Rodda, Phil Strahan and Andrew McKenna were busy, the latter, who took the mark of the day in the first quarter.
Beanpole ruckman Dean Johnson offered more than nuisance value for Hobgen and Brad Jose persevered well in a marking role on Dusties coach Shane Brewster.
