By Nick Creely
SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – ROUND 7
Narre Warren coach Matt Shinners believes Saturday’s clash at Kalora Park was one of the best he’s witnessed at local level for a long period of time.
While it was not a grand final or a match that defined both clubs, the intensity, passion and skill level will instantly make this game a classic.
In the end, the Magpies notched up a seventh straight win to remain undefeated, while the Wickers slip to 4-3 but aren’t too far off from their best football despite a couple of fadeouts.
In a first half owned by Stewart Kemperman’s men, the Wickers simply couldn’t put away the home side after booting 2.6 in the second term and taking in a 16-point lead.
The Wickers got the fast start, booting five first quarter goals to jump out to an 18-point lead, with the Magpies struggling to adjust to the rampant pressure being applied – particularly through the middle of the ground where Madi Andrews, Bryce Rutherford and Travis Tuck were able to exert control over the stoppages.
“We weren’t that good early, the opposition came to play and we turned the ball over like the week before – our second quarter was pretty good, we just didn’t capitalize on a lot of our forward entries, and that comes down to the pressure the opposition puts you under,” Shinners said of the flat first half.
“They (Berwick) were probably a little bit undisciplined; we kicked a goal and then got another pretty much straight away from their indiscretion, and that sort of helps your cause a bit.”
Then came a typical, no fuss response from the Magpies, who clawed their way back to life in a third quarter of pure grit.
While star Wicker Bryce Rutherford started strongly with a couple of early clearances, the Magpies got the game on their terms, running hard from the back half and catching the visitors flat footed.
Despite a goal from champion Michael Riseley, who floated forward with poise and snagged a goal against the tide, a truly incredible team goal starting off with some extraordinary piece of dare by Hayden Stagg and finished by Michael Collins kicked the home side into gear.
Only seconds later, Nick Scanlon threaded the needle, and all of a sudden, the Magpies were flexing their muscles, and peppering the goals as the Wickers grimly defended.
Mitch Cox roared in excitement after booting yet another clutch goal, and after a completely dominant last ten minutes in which Brad Scalzo had the ball on a string, Ryan Quirk was throwing his body on the line and Stew Scanlon (four goals) was providing the mercurial presence, the home side got their noses in front by just one solitary point at the final break.
The crowd was packed to their rafters, throwing their voices behind every bump, kick and mark, and the roar was deafening each time a player got a skerrick of open space in a thrilling final term with many twists.
After last week’s fade away in the final term against Cranbourne, the pressure was fixed firmly on the reigning premiers, who were encountering a home side charging hard after two early goals – one from a phenomenal pack mark by Trent Shinners – stretched the margin out to two straight kicks.
The Wickers urgently needed a lift against the almighty momentum being built, and they got one, namely through Michael Riseley, who helped set Tom Brennan on a path to goal that cut that margin back to seven.
Narre’s desperation at the contest was pivotal, moving the ball forward by whatever means possible. The defensive soundness of the likes of Col McNamara, Jesse Davies and Quirk meant the Wickers could get no easy ball, but three crucial misses in front of goal zapped any hope of a late steal.
With just six minutes to go and with the score just five points and the tension reverberating across the ground, the Wickers almost made magic happen.
Travis Tuck almost snared one of the great goals in heavy congestion, but utter desperation from McNamara ensured just a single fingernail could get to the ball right on the line just metres away from a group of Berwick supporters.
Then the match sealer came, a curler around his body from Stew Scanlon gave the Magpies enough breathing space to close out a tense final five minutes.
“The third quarter we played our way and came in a point up at three quarter time, and the opposition only kicked two points the week before in the final quarter, so we worked on the fact we were pretty fit,” Shinners said.
“It (Berwick’s last quarter) wasn’t the main topic of conversation at the huddle, but when the players were getting in position I said to them they needed to move the ball quickly and run hard, because they didn’t score in the last quarter last week, so we needed to capitalize on their confidence levels, and if you score early, you plant a seed in the opposition’s head.”
Shinners said that Berwick’s inability to put the game to bed with some late misses proving costly in a 2.6 final quarter was the key difference in a game that was so physical.
“They came back at us, we got maybe 14 points up, and they had three shots on goal and missed, and then we went down our end and scored,” he said.
“They missed a couple of shots, and if you don’t kick straight it gives us a chance – we also missed a few goals we definitely should have kicked.
“It was one of the best local games of footy in a long while, it was pretty physical and it wasn’t easy to get a kick.”
In many ebbs and flows of momentum through a second half where no one knew who would emerge with four points, Shinners was full of praise for a youngster who he believes helped turn the game.
“There was a point where young Hayden Stagg had to bite the bullet and he grabbed the footy, ploughed through some Berwick players, and then Michael Collins did some good work dodging and weaving, scoring a crucial goal against the tide – it was definitely a turning point for us,” he said.
Now 7-0 ahead of matches against Pakenham, Cranbourne and Doveton, Shinners said the club is in a really strong position, citing the Magpies’ unity as a massive factor in their successes so far.
“There’s a lot of hard work gone into it, we recruited well and we’ve got the right types at the club – there’s also some young players, and they’ve performed – our seconds didn’t win on the weekend, but their 6-1, and they put pressure on the senior side,” he said.
“The relationships we have are key, the trust and respect are the difference, and character comes to the fore front, because when you’re under the pressure Berwick gives you, and to have a sterling win shows the character of our football club.”
It was the game of the season to date, and an entrée of what could still come from these two famous rivals.
Narre Warren 13.10 (88)
Berwick 10.18 (78)
