SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – ROUND 17
The charge of the black and white brigade continues to grow momentum after Narre Warren scored a super-impressive 42-point victory over Doveton in Saturday night’s Indigenous Round clash at Robinson Oval.
The Magpies’ first victory at the Doves home ground since 2014 secured a coveted double-chance and confirmed Heath Black’s team as the genuine article ahead of this year’s finals series.
They have now won five on the trot, including victories over fellow finals contenders Beaconsfield (79 points), Cranbourne (19 points) and now the Doves.
Only Berwick will take a winning feeling against the Magpies into September, but even the Wickers may have inadvertently helped with the impetus for this late-season surge.
They thumped the Magpies by 49 points in a one-sided contest at Edwin Flack Reserve in Round 12.
“We had stern and open words after that game, the players were left in doubt as to my feelings,” Black said.
“And, while we can’t quite put our finger on it, things have definitely turned around since then. To get the double chance was a must if we wanted to have an impact come finals time.”
The Magpies winning streak has been impressive, but the night clash against the Doves provided the biggest momentum test of the season.
A clash against a traditional rival, on its own dunghill, would give the clearest indication yet of the seriousness of the Magpies’ threat. They passed with flying colours.
“Without question, that was our most important game for the season,” Black said.
“If we drop it we take a backward step with our belief, but to win the way we did at a place we haven’t won at for two years will give us enormous belief going forward.
“We tapped into our record at Doveton before the game, because it can be an intimidating place to play, but I told the players that I believed in their hardness at the footy, that we were stronger at the coalface, and if we played our best footy I didn’t think they could go with us. I was anxious before the game so it was very nice to walk away with that result.”
The Magpies were consistently strong for the four quarters, with midfield dynamos Trent Cody and Josh Tonna getting a stack of the ball, and superstar veteran Michael Collins continuing a great run of form since the mid-season bye.
Youngster Joel Zietsman continues to impress down back, while Nick Scanlon’s four-goal haul made a monte of this year’s league goal-kicking award. The Magpies led by 50 points at the final change before taking the foot of the pedal slightly in the final term.
This is a setback for the Doves who had set the bar high with a terrific win over Beaconsfield, two weeks after pushing Berwick all the way to the final siren.
They were comprehensively outplayed – no match for the black and white army.
Veteran Ryan Hendy had a night out with five goals for the Doves, while Russ Gabriel, Jake Blackwood and Sam Raru did what they do best – figure prominently on the best players’ list.
Reliable defender Matt Jameson also stuck to his guns down back.
The Magpies host a dangerous Tooradin this week while Doveton has another major challenge on its hands with a trip to Cranbourne.
DOVETON 1.1 4.3 4.4 10.6(66)
NARRE WARREN 4.4 8.7 11.12 15.18(108)
Doveton Goals: R. Hendy 5, S. Raru 2, S. Henwood, R. Gabriel, C. McCartney. Best: J. Blackwood, R. Gabriel, M. Jameson, S. Raru, R. Hendy.
Narre Warren Goals: N. Scanlon 4, C. McNamara 2, M. Collins 2, D. Gawley 2, D. Quirk, A. Hunter, J. Richardson, T. Cody, A. Wilson. Best: T. Cody, J. Tonna, M. Collins, J. Zietsman, N. Scanlon, J. Richardson.
