By DAVID NAGEL
BEACONSFIELD rubber stamped what was already a red-letter day for the club when it comprehensively outplayed Berwick to the tune of 50 points at the impressive new Holm Park Road on Saturday.
The Eagles – apart from a 14-minute lapse at the start of the second quarter – dominated all aspects of play, and thoroughly deserved bragging rights in the season’s first instalment of the Battle of the Creek.
A red-ribbon ceremony was held just before play – to signify the opening of the new ground – and it proved a forerunner to a one-sided first-quarter where the Eagles sliced the Berwick mid-field to pieces.
Given first use by their ruck-recruit, Scott Meyer, the Eagles centre-line of Daniel Mislicki, Ben Kerrigan and youngsters Mitch Dyer and Tom Dovaston made their Berwick counterparts look slow, as the home side piled on six unanswered goals.
Meyer was dominant early, mobile and athletic for a big man, he’s also smart, and he constantly found himself in the perfect position to repel any Berwick attack.
Most impressively it was also an enduring quality, the big man going strong and deep into the last quarter in the first of what’s sure to be many standout performances.
Lock him in for three Norm Walker Medal votes right now.
Beacy’s first quarter dominance was built on winning the contested ball and fierce tackling pressure.
The last major of the term was caused by a Berwick turnover, deep in defence, and typified the first-quarter action.
Eagles coach Clint Evans was keen for the effort to continue into the second term.
“Fellas, the pressure on the ball carrier is fantastic, we’ve got them second guessing,” Evans said.
“We’re winning the contested footy, we’re nine-three at the clearances, and the run and carry is there. But it all means nothing if we let them back in.”
Prophetic words indeed.
Berwick looked a different team at the start of the second as skipper Madi Andrews and new-recruit Michael Harold took control through the centre of the ground… and Jordy Andrews capitalised up forward.
Harold put his head over the ball to win a free kick and put the Wickers first major on the board at the three-minute mark before Andrews gave a fist-pump after a quality finish just two minutes later.
Another to Andrews, and then a left foot snap by Andrew Morozoff, had the visitors back within two kicks after just 10 minutes.
Then a turning point.
Deep in defence, Berwick’s Brad Fowler and Tom Brennan had Eagles forward Michael McPhie outnumbered, two on one. Fowler’s attempted handpass was intercepted by McPhie, who strolled in to an open goal to change all the momentum.
Troy McDermott rubbed salt into the wound when he slotted a set shot a short time later, and the Eagles had back their three-and-a-half-goal buffer at half time.
The third quarter started as an arm wrestle before turning into a knock-out punch.
Berwick kicked two of the first three, inside six minutes, to cut the margin to 14 points, before a 15-minute stalemate ensued.
The next goal was critical and it came from McDermott, at the 21-minute mark, before he backed it up with another a minute later to break the Wickers’ resistance.
Fittingly it was Mislicki who sealed victory, when he dribbled one through at the two-minute-mark of the last quarter.
Only one more goal was scored for the quarter.
McPhie with five goals and McDermott with four, were dangerous for the Eagles, while Damien Johnson, Ryan Cotter and Taylor Joyce got better as the day wore on.
Berwick’s reliable defenders, Brett Robinson and Andrew Tuck, tried hard to shake tags all day while Kristian Meredith, Paul Vanschilt and Nick Sear also fought the game out well.
The Wickers did miss the physical forward presence of Nathan Waite, who was out with a hamstring strain, while key defender Jason Kelly was attending a wedding.
But take nothing away from the Eagles who looked quicker than last year and played with a team spirit that could take them a long way if they can consistently replicate it as the season unfolds.
