Casey Cardinia League – round 2

By Brad Kingsbury
NARRE Warren’s stirring three-point victory over Hampton Park on Saturday was overshadowed by a serious injury to Magpie youngster Nick Shannon.
The game was delayed for half an hour when ambulance paramedics were called to help move the distressed 17-year-old who badly dislocated his ankle and broke his leg after landing awkwardly in a marking contest at the Booth Reserve.
The delay saw the game end just before 6pm in darkness, after senior umpire Rohan David and coaches Josh Taylor and Matt Shinners conferred and agreed to complete the match under the Redbacks training lights.
The Magpies kicked with assistance of a steady breeze, but Hampton Park opened the game on song led by Taylor with midfielders Nathan Dawes and Linden Fredericks, together with strong marking centre half-forward Matt Shorey who was dominant all day.
The home side led by two points at the first change and extended that to 14 points at half-time, despite the efforts of Magpie ball-magnets Daniel Borninkhof, Chris Potalej and first gamer Daniel Uzarevic.
The battle continued to entertain the big Anzac Day crowd in the third term, with Narre Warren, though inaccurate, levelling the game before Shannon’s injury caused the long stoppage.
The wind abated slightly in the final term and the two sides continued the battle with Hampton Park retaining a slender advantage until the death-knock.
With only seconds left on the clock, Borninkhof won the ball out of the centre and booted it long towards goal.
It drifted towards the points, but took a severe bounce left, avoided the approaching Redback defenders and rolled through for a goal, giving the Magpies a thrilling three-point result with the siren sounding after the resultant centre bounce.
Shinners was thrilled with the win, but said the celebrations were tempered by Shannon’s serious injury.
“It was a terrible thing to happen to a young bloke in his first senior game,” he said.
“We’ll keep close contact with him and his family and support him as a club.”
Taylor was bitterly disappointed with the result, but praised the efforts of Shorey, who returned to the Redbacks after a season with Garfield last year.
DOVETON was expected to have an easy day at the Robinson Reserve, but didn’t count on a rejuvenated DEVON MEADOWS taking the game right up to it and forcing the first draw of 2009.
Panther Ash Adams snapped at goal, but saw his kick drift through for a behind, levelling the scores with only 20 seconds left to play.
A strong wind played its part in the first half with the Doves taking advantage in the opening term and booting away to a three-goal lead, but the visitors rallying in the second quarter and taking a three-point lead into the half-time break.
That advantage should have been bigger after the Panthers booted an inaccurate 3.9 for the quarter.
The Doves looked set to break away in the third term with Russell Gabriel taking control in the air and Ricky Hayes creating many attacks from half-back.
However the Panthers hung in through the efforts of star recruit Daniel Rigg and gun wingman Stefan Baumgartner, who returned to the side from the Dandenong Stingrays.
The difference at the final break in play was nine points in favour of the Doves, which proved telling as darkness fell and a yellow ball was called for in the last quarter.
Ball handling conditions changed and the game became mistake-riddled, but still the Panthers came at the Doves, just falling short of a classic victory and leaving both camps lamenting as to what might have been.
Doveton is still coming to terms with its new coaching structure under reserves coach Mark Mott, forced on it after last week’s AFL Victoria decision not to grant Clint Wilson accreditation to lead the club.
CRANBOURNE began its 2009 campaign with a scrappy 29-point win over a disappointing TOORADIN at the Western Port Oval.
Kicking with the assistance of a gusty breeze, Cranbourne booted four goals to none in the first term to lead by 26 points at quarter time and set the scene for the afternoon.
Star Eagle forward Marc Holt played deep and was marked by Seagull defender Jason Boocock who battled away hard, despite conceding significant height and strength. The second term was a negative affair with Tooradin again failing to worry the goalkickers’ list leaving the big Anzac Day home crowd with grave concerns that a blowout result was on the cards, however the Seagulls managed to steady and boot six second-half goals to add some respectability.
Tough Cranbourne defender Matt Rus was awarded the Anzac Day medal for best afield, while his teammates Troy Tharle-Adams, Luke Martin and Robert Beadel were also solid contributors throughout the afternoon.
BERWICK won its second consecutive game with a thrilling seven-point victory over BEACONSFIELD at the Edwin Flack Reserve.
The importance of the result was not lost on either side with long-suffering Berwick supporters crowing that the Wickers were back in town as a contender after year in the doldrums, while the Eagles faithful faced up to another season of potential mediocrity.
After a goal to Lachlan Oakley put the Eagles in front at the 23-minute mark, the Wickers lifted with late goals to Billy Carlyle and Grant Noonan seeing them home in a classic Battle-of-the-Creek Anzac Day victory.
Andrew Tuck was named the Anzac Day medallist.
PEARCEDALE bounced back to the Nepean League winners’ list with a 77-point drubbing of TYABB.
Big-marking former Hampton Park full-forward Kerem Baskaya starred with 11 goals, while his brother Kain booted three in a real family affair.
Three other former Redbacks in Steve Watson, Craig Lombard and Jack Besley were among Pearcedale’s best players.