What a Star. Garfield’s Damien Rhind takes a strong grab in defence for his team. 68841 Pictures: Stewart Chambers
By Ken Moore
GARFIELD emerged from a mini form slump to beat its main premiership rival, Neerim Neerim South, by 19 points at Beswick Street on Saturday.
In doing so, the Stars claimed the minor premiership.
While it was the final home-and-away game of the season, both teams, despite guaranteed a top-two finish, had a red-hot go. The match was a ripper, highlighted by the sustained pressure applied over the entire game.
On a perfect day for football, Neerim fired the opening salvo when Tyssen Morrow marked and kicked truly at the three-minute mark. Soon after, Garfield forward Jim Bow replied to level the ledger.
Thereafter, the visitors poured forward at every opportunity but, with six consecutive behinds, were not rewarded on the scoreboard. An opportunist goal by Bow, his second and in the closing minute of the quarter, gave home side Garfield a two-point lead at the first break.
The second quarter was one of the best of the season, and all possessions were hard earned.
The pressure, in the form of the tackling, chasing and harassing exerted and absorbed by all players was superb.
During the term, Garfield went a long way towards winning the game, with goals by Tom Marsh, after a strong mark, Matt Hobbs, after he weaved in and out of some heavy traffic and Bow, whose snap and third major opened up a 17-point advantage by mid-term.
Two late goals by Morrow, who was proving a real thorn in the Stars’ defence, interspersed with a six-pointer by 17-year-old Garfield prospect Harry Cregan, gave the home side an eight-point buffer at the main break.
Neerim fell further behind early in the third quarter when Garfield kicked four of the first five goals of the term to establish a 27-point lead.
Daniel Fry scored two of the Stars’ majors and Matt Hobbs and Tom Marsh the other two, while for the Cats, midfield dynamo Chris Urie snagged a goal to keep his team in the contest. A late goal by Neerim’s Gabe Marsden reduced the three-quarter-time margin to 20 points.
At the three-minute mark of the last quarter, 15-year-old Garfield midfielder Eddie Morris, who has the makings of a potential star, threaded the big sticks with a sublime left foot kick from an acute angle to put the home side on the road to the minor premiership.
Nevertheless, Neerim did not roll over, and with goals by Robbie Gillespie and a third goal by Urie, it trimmed the margin to 15 points mid term.
But Garfield had all the answers, and did not give the Cats a sniff from then on.
Garfield was well piloted by coach Brent Eastwell and fellow ruck-rover Ben Marsh, who hurled himself into the fray. Ruckman Tom Marsh, while below his best, played a very effective game and Shane Reid stopped several Neerim attacks and launched terrific drive from the back half.
Jim Bow and Matt Hobbs proved hard to contain across the forward line, while Dean Fitzgerald in the first half and Jamie Ferguson in the second half, made their presence felt in defence.
“The result was irrelevant today,” Garfield coach Brent Eastwell said.
All he wanted his team to do was getting right the processes they had followed when they were playing at their best during the season.
“Pleased to get the four points and the minor premiership, but the job is not yet done,” added Eastwell, who is clearly focused on the finals.
For Neerim, Chris Urie, Leigh Sheehan and Cam Hinkley, while not gathering their usual high number of disposals, played pivotal roles, key defender Nick Humphrey, along with former Garfield utility Dean McFarlane, Mick Urie and youngster Matt Ward had a dip.
“It was the ideal game to play after a couple of big wins,” Neerim coach Leigh Sheehan said.
“It was disappointing to lose and not finish top, but if I was asked at the start of the season, we would have taken second position.”
