By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY CARDINIA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – FIRST SEMI FINAL
CRANBOURNE’s renowned individual brilliance came together as one on Sunday, the Eagles ending Berwick’s season with a clinical 41-point victory in the first semi-final at Holm Park Road.
The Eagles started fast, and then had all the answers, riding a seven-goal second term, and a team-ethic as good as any this season to snuff out Berwick’s best challenge.
Each time the Eagles were threatened, they lifted the bar, not allowing Rhys Nisbet’s side more than two consecutive goals for the afternoon.
Nisbet pulled the first surprise of the cut-throat eliminator, starting regular full-forward Nathan Waite on Eagles’ skipper and goal kicking machine Marc Holt, who twitched his right calf just minutes into the match.
Holt continued to play his part in the victory, but it was the Eagles talented midfield that struck the early blows.
Ryan Jones and Curtis Barker kicked truly, and then Holt proved too strong as the Eagles had the first three on the board in a hurry. But it wasn’t until the second quarter that the true gap between the two sides began to emerge.
The Eagles extended their 17-point margin to 40 by the main break, with Team of the Year half forward, Michael Theodoridis, kicking four for the quarter, while Holt, Anthony Vella and Tim Smith chimed in with one apiece.
Cranbourne’s midfield was right on top, particularly through the middle phase of the quarter, where three clearances resulted in three goals in the space of three minutes.
Berwick did close to 27 points in the second half, but it was a chase made in vain as the Eagles remained focussed to score an impressive victory.
“That’s what we can do when we really apply ourselves,” Cranbourne coach Scott Sutherland said.
“We work on it, week in week out, but sometimes we don’t know what Cranbourne side is going to turn up.
“Today we got the side that was really switched on and I thought our movement through defence, into our midfield and then down to our forwards was good, really good and that’s the standard we need to maintain.”
Sutherland said the team aspect of the performance impressed him most.
“It was a true team effort,” he said.
“I asked my assistants to name a top five, and everyone came up with a different list because it was such a great team effort.
“We’ll need that type of effort again next week, and the week after that, we look forward now to taking on Narre.”
Theodoridis kicked six, and Smith three, but it was the three goal effort of Vella, who played as a defensive forward on dangerous Berwick half back, Luke Sheppard, that was a real key to the victory.
Stu Morrish was superb down back, while Leigh Holt and Matty Weller – who had a great duel with Jordy Andrews – were other valuable contributors.
Berwick, both in ladder position and style of play, has improved from last year. Nisbet will be disappointed his side couldn’t maintain the ridiculously high standard set at the start of the season, but there are some promising signs.
Madi Andrews is a fantastic leader; young ruckman Jake Gains has been magnificent in the ruck while Jake Yields and promising forward duo, Mitch Johnson and Jordy Andrews still have plenty of years on their side.
Cranbourne 18.10 (118)
Berwick 11.11 (77)
