Eagles pile on the pain

Nathan Langley flies high for an absolute screamer on Saturday. 180747

By Nick Creely

SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE

REVIEW – ROUND 5

Football really is a cruel, cruel game.

Only two weeks ago Officer sat undefeated, surprising the competition with its electric football, while Beaconsfield had significant trouble scoring a winning total.

But after two consecutive drubbings, the Kangaroos are now back in the middle of the pack, while the Eagles appear to have now found their mojo, helped by 17 goals in the last two weeks by star recruit Nathan Langley.

It appeared as anything but a one-sided affair early, with the Kangaroos cracking in early and kicking the opening major through Jayce Valentine.

The Eagles were inaccurate early, but broke through after four behinds late in the quarter with VFL listed midfielder Sean Dwyer kicking a cracker from the pocket. It lead to a further two goals, but that inaccuracy hurt them, emerging from the first term with 12 shots to three but only a 19-point lead.

Scott Meyer was particular influential with a class display in the ruck, giving the midfield group first use with some deft ruck work, while Dwyer and Matt Homfray were all class as the home side threatened to tear the game apart.

Over the course of the next two quarters, the Kangaroos had no answers for Nathan Langley (five goals) and Scott Meyer (five), who were floating forward and making a significant impact with their contested marking.

After slamming on 11 goals to two over the course of an hour, the margin quickly rose to an ominous 79-point three quarter time lead, which eventually ended with a 95-point win.

But it was the ease of Beaconsfield’s ball movement that was the worry – Riley Verbi was a class act and found a stack of the football, capping off his superb game with a late goal, Daniel Johnston hardly missed a target by foot, while Meyer got the better of the in-form Sean Roach.

For Leigh McQuillen’s side, it appears they are finding more and more avenues to goal, in a sign of things to come when they next play a premiership contender.

The break in the season probably comes at a bad time for Beaconsfield, who are building into some brilliant form, while Officer will need to address their defensive deficiency when they next take to the field on 26 May.

Beaconsfield 17.23 (125)
Officer 4.6 (30)