By DAVID NAGEL
PAKENHAM’S credentials as a Casey Cardinia league contender are about to be tested after the Lions made it five wins on the trot with an 86-point victory over cellar-dwellers Hampton Park at Robert Booth Reserve on Saturday.
The fourth-placed Lions have now taken care of the bottom-half of the ladder but face Cranbourne, Beaconsfield, Narre Warren and Berwick in the coming weeks which will really define their season.
The Lions’ interleague stars returned in style on the weekend, with Dom Paynter sizzling on centre wing, Kym Jones a Goliath in the ruck, and coach Steve O’Bryan slotting five important goals for his side.
Daniel Fry matched O’Bryan’s output, while Cory Lenders, Anthony Young and Jason Fisher were other solid contributors.
Nathan Allen was the only multiple goal-scorer and best player for the home side, while Jimmy Van Elewould and Nathan Dawes never stopped trying all day.
Pakenham host Cranbourne at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday in the CCFL match-of-the-day.
Narre Warren stunned a large ROC crowd – and even itself – with an astonishing last quarter burst to leave Starling Road 106-point winners over the Kangaroos on Saturday.
The match looked evenly poised late in the third quarter as the young Kangaroos trailed the back-to-back champs by just 10 points.
But then – in the style of Black Caviar – the Magpies released the brakes, kicking an amazing 15.7 to 1.1 in the final term to put a massive gap between them and their rivals.
A Ben Wragg goal on the three-quarter-time siren triggered a ROC-slide that no-one saw coming.
The Kangaroos stopped running – and started arguing – as six last-quarter goals to Kerem Baskaya highlighted the Magpies’ dominance.
The power-forward finished with nine for the day while Col McNamara, Nathan Foote, Jackson Parker and Wragg were the Magpies’ next best.
Berwick showed the Magpies how to jump out of the blocks with a nine-goal first quarter that set up a 54-point win over Tooradin at Westernport Oval.
The third-placed Wickers were super-impressive, with Jordy Andrews and Aaron Purvis kicking three each in the opening term, a term that was highlighted by several spot-fires breaking out around the ground.
Tooradin – apart from Matt Wade – had no answer to the Berwick running machine as Joe West, Daniel Harrison, Luke Sheppard and Madi Andrews ran riot through the middle of the ground.
Purvis and Jordy Andrews finished with five each for the visitors who have now compiled a six-and-one record to the start of the season.
Jake O’Donnell slotted four for the Seagulls to join the hard-running Wade as the home-side’s best.
Cranbourne overcame an early injury scare to its super-star full-forward Marc Holt to defeat Doveton by 48 points at Robinson Oval.
A twinge in his lower back saw Holt have no influence on the scoreboard as the highly rated Eagles struggled to break free of the Doves in the first half.
Coach Scott Sutherland altered the forward-line set-up after the break with Michael Theodoridis, four goals, and Nathan Gardiner, three, working well in tandem.
‘Fluff’ Boland was sensational in the ruck for the Eagles, providing runners such as Luke Bee-Hugo, Ryan Jones and play-maker Max Gearon with first use of the ball.
Jake Mullen continued his great form for the Doves while ruckman Frank D’Agostino slipped forward to kick three majors.
Beaconsfield is building nicely and made it four wins from its last five outings with a 98-point thrashing of Keysborough at Holm Park Road.
The Eagles have just done what they’ve had to do until this point of the season but have the quality to be aiming at the big-dance.
Games against fellow contenders, Pakenham, Berwick and Narre Warren, loom large on the horizon and will provide a fascinating phase of their season.
The Eagles had too much fire-power for the Burra, Scott Meyer overcame an injury that kept him from interleague duty last week to boot four for the home side while Tyson Mitchem and Michael McPhie slotted three apiece.
Tom Dovaston, Shaun Pollard and Jack Brown were other good players for the Eagles while Tim Werner and Michael Downie battled hard for the Burra.
