Eagles Make It Perfect Sweep To Start 2010
Ladder leaders Whittlesea, continued to show they are the team to beat this season after defeating Lower Plenty by 21 points, moving two games clear on top of the ladder.
The Eagles and the Bear’s were out to prove a point and cement their place in the top four. It was a tight affair early on in the piece, with both sides struggling to get clean possession of the footy as a result of the tremendous tackles being applied. Finally Lower Plenty’s Ben Gill got his hands on the footy and was able to kick truly, putting the Bears on the scoreboard first.
Whittlesea immediately responded, finding space and utilising the wings in finding an avenue to goal. The Eagles’ Lucas Hobbs pinched the footy off the top of the pack and kicked a snap shot in the goal square to level the scores. It was evident early on in the match that it wasn’t going to be an easy day at the office for the Lower Plenty boys, as Whittlesea were breathing down their necks.
Lower Plenty was prepared to be patient with the footy, ensuring they were spotting up targets, rather than creating a contest. In turn the Bears were rewarded when Billy Barden nailed a goal after being awarded a free kick for holding. Unfortunately the Bears’ patience hurt them when they turned the ball over in defence in the second half of the quarter.
The Eagles were reluctant to allow the Bears to walk all over them, reverting to a man-on-man approach. Whittlesea put their foot on the accelerator moving the footy swiftly through the midfield to their power forwards Evan Murray and Matthew Robertson. They kicked the next three goals to take a thirteen point lead into the quarter time break.
At the break, Lower Plenty’s coach Wayne Harmes believed his players weren’t playing that bad footy despite being down at the break. But Harmes emphasised to his players they need to “be protective of the ball carrier”.
The Eagles’ Garrett Heenan rallied the Eagles’ midfield, who took it up a notch, penetrating the footy into the forward 50, spotting up their leading forwards and kicking several goals. The Eagles rested on their laurels as the Bears were eager to make sure their opponents were made accountable.
The tide turned and Lower Plenty was looking like the superior side midway through the second term. The scoreboard wasn’t a true reflection of the quality football the Bears were playing. It was a 24 point deficit and once again Ben Gill was able to bring Whittlesea’s run of goals to a halt, nailing a goal on the run. Lower Plenty were closing in on the margin.
Whittlesea continued to fumble in their forward line and Lower Plenty’s defence worked tirelessly to move the footy further up the ground. Patrick Flynn was the general down back and was assisted by Nick Tyack who provided the Bear’s with some much needed run. Whittlesea went into the half time break with an eleven point lead.
Lower Plenty couldn’t maintain their fine form of the second quarter. They looked stagnant as Whittlesea ran circles around them. Whitlesea’s Evan Murray dished the footy off to Matthew Dornauf who converted, extending their lead. Whittlesea appeared to move the ball with ease whilst Lower Plenty struggled to move it beyond the centre.
As a result of Lower Plenty’s mistakes, Whittlesea were prepared to be more attacking and take their chances. The Eagles used their proficient ball skills and were able to kick goals with ease. A Lower Plenty turnover in defence landed in the hands of Whittlesea’s Andrew Fairchild who extend their lead to 33 points, the biggest margin in the match. A late Bear’s goal brought the margin down to 27 points heading into the three quarter time break.
Lower Plenty Coach Wayne Harmes was furious with his side as he let the Eagles get away. Harmes instilled the belief within his players that they had what it takes to match Whittlesea, but they needed to” be prepared to work and get back in it”.
Rapid ball movement through the centre corridor early in the final term, enable Lower Plenty to score on three separate occasions and initiating a fight back. The Bears proved they were able to score against the Eagles if they moved the ball quickly, but a potent Whittlesea outfit put a stop to their free run.
Whittlesea’s Jeremy Page continued to dominate in the ruck, and then traveled down to the goal square for a spell. Page continued to have an impact on the game, as he was able to snare a goal and extend the final margin to 21 points.
Whittlesea travel to Victoria Park to take on Fitzroy Stars this week, and Lower Plenty take on Thomastown who are eager to break into the top four.
Although Lower Plenty went down to Whittlesea, Ben Gill booted five goals to further extend his lead on top of the goal kicking chart.
It's more than just a game 