By DAVID NAGEL
SEFNL
REVIEW – ROUND 3 (Split Round Part 2)
IT HAS teased us all before but a new-look Berwick has announced itself as a genuine premiership contender with a confidence-boosting 49-point victory over Narre Warren at Edwin Flack Reserve.
The result answered two very important questions that we had going into the game: 1. Berwick’s recruiting campaign is definitely going to make them a better team this season, and 2. There are now genuine question marks over the Magpies ability to dominate the competition like it has in recent years.
We’ll get to the Magpies later, but first let’s get to the high points of Berwick’s best home-and-away victory in a very long time.
Its recruits… well… they were simply outstanding.
Former West Coast Eagle, Ash Smith, played his best game for the club; dominating across half back, while five goals to Ben Kearns, and a brilliant defensive display at full-back from Michael Riseley gave the Wickers the look of a team that is going to be hard to stop going forward, and hard to score against this season.
The Wickers were simply tougher at the contest in the first quarter, controlling every aspect of the game in a 7.2 to 1.0 start that set the scene for the day. Led by a brilliant quarter of football from rover Dylan Quirk, the Magpies bounced back, cutting the margin to 10 at the main break, before the Wickers piled on nine goals to three after half-time to race away with the victory.
In Smith, Berwick now has what Narre Warren once had in abundance, a tough to beat but creative half-back-flanker who can carry the lines and be damaging by foot. He moves and thinks quickly, and he hits targets from a distance, no wonder Berwick went backwards, sideways, whatever it took to get the ball in his hands.
Nick Scanlon and Kain Baskaya used to perform this role for the Magpies, but Scanlon has gone to Clayton, and Baskaya, well, he has a damaged eye-socket that may keep him out for the rest of the year.
The Wickers identified Ben Giobbi and Jackson Parker as potential run-and-carry threats on the weekend and did a great job of limiting their influence.
Riseley, who did a fantastic job on Kerem Baskaya, was well-supported by Michael Johnson, Jayden Joyce, Jo West and Ryan Hillard in defence, while a fully-fit Michael Harold was back to his best in the midfield.
Hayden McLardy and Mitchell Johnson kicked three each for the winners, while youngster Brody Connelly showed some promising signs for the future with two of his own.
Johnson really should have hurt the Magpies, missing three set shots when the Wickers were on top in the third term.
So what do we make of Narre?
The Magpies have now lost four of their last five games and their lack of intensity in the first quarter was noticeable, and is something that will be worrying coach Chris Toner. A lack of intensity against Berwick… that’s almost an insult when you come from Kalora Park!
It’s not all gloom and doom for the Magpies, sure, they have youngsters battling for consistency, and seasoned campaigners struggling for form, but they still have most of the tools required to be there at the pointy end of the season.
However, they really miss the grunt of Steve Watson in the ruck and it’s hard to say if they can win this year without him. Toner might be on the blower this week trying to persuade the hard-man into making a comeback.
The Magpies certainly need to regroup. There were comments like “Let’s not turn on each other boys”, at three quarter time, and they are words we haven’t heard from a Magpies camp in a very long time.
They should get the points this week against Tooradin but, if things don’t go to plan against Beaconsfield in Round 5, the power-shift in the SEFL might be just about complete.
It’s going to be fascinating to watch it all unfold.
Berwick 16.11 (107) Narre Warren 8.10 (58)
