By Brad Kingsbury
THE clash between Narre Warren and Hampton Park was one of the most uneven matches contested in the 2009 Casey Cardinia League season this year.
While there have been bigger margins in games, there has not been a more comprehensive beating handed to a side than the 101-point ‘thumpfest’ extended to the hapless Redbacks at Fox Road.
The Magpies took control after winning the toss and kicking with a five-goal breeze.
There was little system to Hampton Park’s game from the start and the ball was continually pounded forward by running playmakers including Lee Boyle, Chris Potalej, Glenn Hamilton and Cole Harvey, much to the glee of the Magpies forwards.
Youngsters Dylan Piening and Ben Wragg, together with veteran Steven Kidd, enjoyed the pickings, while it was only the efforts of Redback defenders Ryan Simpson, Scott Eastwood and coach Josh Taylor that kept the margin from becoming even greater.
The Magpies led by 28 points at the first break and extended that to 64 points by booting six goals into the breeze during the second term
Hampton Park did not raise two fingers from the goal umpire until deep into the third quarter and only managed two goals for the afternoon.
While the Magpies are a genuine top-three contender, most at the ground expected the Redbacks to produce a serious challenge after they pushed league leaders Doveton to three points the week before, however it was not to be and Taylor was downcast afterwards.
“It started off badly, got worse and then didn’t get any better – that’s about the sum of it,” he lamented.
“We are hot or cold and it just seems to depend on the day. It was a terrible day in every way.
“Narre ran off us really well and we did pay the price for playing players who just aren’t 100 per cent. We won’t be doing that again.”
The story was the opposite for Narre Warren despite the absence again of star goalkicker Brett Evans.
Michael Collins was brilliant all day for the victors whether it was on the ball or as a marking forward, while Jarrod Anderson and Daniel Borninkhof were effective and consistent across the four quarters.
Coach Matt Shinners was content with the progress of his young side and said it was especially pleasing to see players adapt to different roles when they were asked.
“We played better going into the wind than we did with it,” he said.
“It’s funny how that sometimes happens on days like that, but we had a really good week on the track and changed a few things around with good results.
“The boys stuck to the tasks that we set them at the start of the day. I think we played some really committed footy for four quarters and it was on a par with our best for the year.”
The uneven draw will see Narre Warren have the toughest run home of any finals contender in the next five weeks, but Shinners said that was not an issue given every game this year was a huge challenge for his young charges.
