By Brad Kingsbury
ROC threw everything they had at Berwick on the weekend but came up 24 points short after the Wickers outran their tiring opponents in a hectic and high-scoring final term.
Berwick coach Glenn Dale stated that his side was one of the fittest in the league and his players proved the accuracy of those words by booting eight goals to four in the last stanza and singing their song for the third time in three games this year.
It was the last 10 minutes of the game that told the story with Berwick’s big gun forwards in Grant Noonan (seven goals) and Jason Heath (five) providing goal-kicking targets for the hard-working Wicker midfielders led by captain Andrew Tuck in another outstanding performance.
The Kangaroos took the game right up to their opponents all day and proved that they would be no easybeats in 2009.
In a free-flowing game ROC held a slender margin at all three breaks in play, before the rigours of a tough game took their toll with Daniel Fisher sidelined by injury and several players cramping in the dying stages.
That was enough to give the Wickers the break they needed and see them record their third consecutive victory and become recognised as a big threat to all comers this year.
Apart from Tuck, Berwick’s best included recruit Rowan Pybus, together with playmakers Brad Miles, Shaun Barnes and Tom Andrews, while big Kym Jones dominated at centre half forward for ROC, supported by team-mates including Greg Tivendale, Paul Phillips and veteran Mick Moylan.
ROC coach Kris Fletcher lamented his side’s failure to run out the game but said the progress was continuing and the whole club was moving in the right direction.
“We just died in the last 10 minutes,” he said.
“I’m never happy with losing but the results will take care of themselves. It’s about getting ourselves into a position to win games of footy and we did that on Saturday. Unfortunately we couldn’t take that final step but full credit to Berwick, they are a very good side – better than many think.
“We were competitive and improved again, so that was a positive.
“We didn’t quite have the four quarters we needed. We had our chances to win the game but missed crucial kicks at goal. They didn’t (and) at the end of the day, they just finished it off better.”
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Doves too slick for spiders
DOVETON shook off a bout of lethargy from the previous week and methodically defeated traditional foes Hampton Park at the Booth Reserve, to retain the O’Brien-Batten trophy.
It was a methodical and consistent effort over the whole game by the Doves, who were never in serious danger and came away to win by a percentage boosting 68 points.
The Redbacks tried hard with ruckman Brendan Fredericks and experienced play makers including Ryan Simpson, coach Josh Taylor and Pat Clish doing all they could to stem the flow towards the Doveton goal, but there was little penetration in the home side’s attack with young Dove Daniel Zarjac blanketing Redback beanpole forward Shane Moffat and Matt Shorey also being nullified in a great battle with star Doveton centre half back Ricky Hayes.
At the other end things worked well for Doveton.
Ryan Hendy and new full forward Nathan Wilson finished with 11 goals between them, while Wilson’s brother, Nyora recruit Corrie, also booted three goals but spent a significant chunk of time in the midfield.
Doveton ruckman Russell Gabriel marked strongly and is improving as the season progresses, while Daryl Thomas, Shannon Henwood and Michael Henry all found plenty of the ball in an afternoon that delivered plenty of optimism to the visitors’ camp.
Doveton assistant coach Clint Wilson was upbeat about the effort and said that the most pleasing aspect was the side’s consistency.
“We put it together this week. We just tried to get back to what we have been working on our skill level, our running and our manning up. It went out the window against Devon Meadows the week before but we hit all those areas this weekend,” he said.
“We had a better structure this week with Nathan (Wilson) at full forward. He’s a good mark and quick on the lead so that was another area we improved.”
“I think it was just about a four-quarter effort and that was the most pleasing thing about the whole day.’
