By DAVID NAGEL
PAKENHAM has fluffed the final lines of its Casey Cardinia league season going down to Berwick by 21 points in Sunday’s elimination final at ROC.
The Lions’ end to season 2014 has been swift, and can be dated back to round 17 against Cranbourne, where Steve O’Bryan and his boys surrendered a 40-point second-half lead – and third spot on the ladder.
The Lions then lost to Beaconsfield in round 18 before succumbing to Berwick on the weekend – maybe the Lions have found their mark, having been beaten by three finals contenders in a row to end a promising season.
O’Bryan has introduced some bright young talent into his side that he will lead for at least the next two years.
Players like Michael Puts, Troy Toussaint, Jake Barclay, Jack Melbourne and the Cavalot brothers, Brad and Jarrad, have shown signs that – once their bodies mature – they’ll be quality senior players for a long time to come.
O’Bryan’s Christmas wish list will include a strong marking centre-half forward, a speedy midfielder and the return of emerging star Sam Blackwood, who has the potential to be a gun.
The Lions scratched and clawed their way into the contest on Sunday, level at half time, and then kicked out to a 19-point lead midway through the third quarter. Missed opportunities to extend that lead to beyond five goals were then punished by Berwick, which kicked two crucial late goals – into the wind – to trail by a straight kick at the final break.
A seven-goal last quarter secured the Wickers’ victory.
Jake Smith, Anthony Young, Chris Cairns and defender Steve Morey were best for the Lions, with Smith joining full-forward Daniel Fry with three goals for the afternoon.
Berwick now progresses to meet Cranbourne, which was dealt a reality check in its 29-point loss to Beaconsfield in Saturday’s qualifying final at Berwick.
What transpired was a magnificent team performance from Beacy, with immense pressure, great tackling, and a dominant midfield, led by champion ruckman Scott Meyer, skipper Daniel Mislicki, Tyson Mitchem and Damien Johnston, giving Clint Evans’ side first crack at Narre Warren in this Saturday’s second semi-final.
Beacy’s victory didn’t come easy, trailing by 19 points at quarter time, they went on a nine-goal run, from the eight-minute mark of the second term, to the four-minute mark of the third, which stretched their margin out to 39 points and basically locked away the contest.
Through this stanza of play, it was Meyer who made the difference.
He fed midfielders Mislicki, Mitchem and the returning Ben Kerrigan with a mountainous supply of the Sherrin -10 clearances to four in the second term – he set up a one-man wall across the centre of the ground and, when he won possession, he hit targets like a sniper.
Cranbourne did close to 22 points, late in the third, and early in the last quarter, but Beacy did have control after that mid-game burst.
Meyer was a clear best-on-ground, while Kris Fletcher’s three goals and two each to Johnston, Taylor Joyce and Shaun Pollard were the result of a tackling frenzy up field. Daniel Battaglin kept Cranbourne skipper Marc Holt to just one goal after quarter time, and four for the match, while Brandon White and Jack Brown were colourful contributors down back for Beaconsfield.
Stu Morrish, Brandon Osborne and Matt Thompson were resilient down back for Cranbourne, while Michael Boland and Brad Hermans were other solid contributors.
