By DAVID NAGEL
A STUNNING five-goal burst at the start of the third quarter has propelled party-pooping Berwick to a 34-point victory over Tooradin in the South East Football Netball League match of the day at Westernport Oval.
The Seagulls, who were farewelling their best player of the last three years Matty Wade, led by a point at the main break before the Wickers put their collective feet to the floor in the third term.
Unanswered goals to Tim Gunn, Lucas Jellyman-Turner, two more to Gunn, and a dribble kick from Luke Nelson gave the Wickers the break that had proven so hard to open up in the first half.
Gunn finished with six and Michael Riseley was absolutely impenetrable when the whips were cracking in the third quarter.
Wade, who leaves for Swan Hill to purse his policing career on Monday, captained the Seagulls and was typically inspirational around the ground.
“The club’s in great hands, we’ve got some terrific kids coming through that are going to be great players for this club for a very long time,” Wade said before the match.
Julian Suarez booted four and Andrew Proctor and Shaun Keenan were resilient in defence for the Seagulls.
Beaconsfield’s brilliant defensive work of the last five weeks has continued against ROC, the Eagles typically miserly in their 8.17(65) to 4.3(27) victory over the Kangaroos at Holm Park Reserve.
The Eagles wasted their own opportunities in front of goal -hitting the post five times- but kept the Kangaroos to just one six-pointer in the second half, continuing an amazingly stringent run of play.
In their last five games, the Eagles had allowed just one goal in a final quarter and that came against Tooradin in round seven.
Beau Dowler and Scott Meyer kicked two each for the winners while Jesse Linkins and Damien Johnston were ball-magnets around the stoppages. Ruckman Dylan Chapman banked some more best and fairest votes with another outstanding display for the Kangaroos.
Kain Baskaya marked his return to senior footy with five goals in Narre Warren’s dominant 72-point, 16.15 (111) to 5.9 (39), victory over Pakenham at Toomuc Reserve.
“I’ve pulled up pretty sore but I’ll be right and I’m looking forward to next week against Berwick,” Baskaya told the Gazette after his first game since round two.
George Angelopoulos and Ben Wragg bagged three each for the Magpies, while Jackson Parker looked right at home on the huge expanses of Toomuc’s centre wings.
Pakenham’s injury toll continues to grow, with the returning Dom Paynter (hamstring), Jordan Muley (leg) and Damian Talbot (hand) all set to spend lengthy stints on the sidelines.
Cranbourne had the bye while Hampton Park and Doveton played their round 11 match in the season opener on Good Friday.
