By David Nagel
Beaconsfield is enjoying its first taste of success in the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) after the laser-like Eagles scored a 38-point victory over Bayswater at Holm Park Reserve on Saturday.
The 14.4(88) to 6.14(50) victory was set up by a stunning first-quarter onslaught that saw the up-and-about Eagles slam on 6.0 to 0.3 in the opening term.
There was no sign of the waywardness that cost the Eagles in their round-two loss to Mooroolbark where they kicked just six goals from 21 scoring shots.
Mick Fogarty’s men had three less scoring attempts on the weekend…but had an extra 37 points on the board!
The Eagles went in without two of their big guns, with skipper and forward Jake Bowd missing with a finger injury and midfielder Declan Everett with sore ribs.
But the Eagles were relentless in the first term, with Josh Smith clutching everything up forward and taking advantage of a dominant midfield display and great use of the football.
“It was great to get a good start and put scoreboard pressure on the opposition and see how they reacted to that,” Fogarty said.
“We were terrific around the contest in the first quarter, had so much energy, and had some really good connection inside forward 50.
“And we had a really good target in Josh Smith who was taking contested marks and finishing off his work.
“It (goal kicking) is not something where you can just flick a switch and make it work…it’s about trusting your routine and technique and hopefully they go through.
“It’s important, but it wasn’t a real focus heading in.”
Trailing by 33 points at quarter time, Bayswater bounced back with skipper Joel Galvin lifting his team with a physical display through the midfield.
The Kangaroos cut the margin back to 18 points at the main break before the Eagles played some slick footy again to kick out to a 29-lead at three-quarter-time.
The Eagles finished off the game in style, kicking three goals to one in the final stanza to bank their first four points of the season.
“Our quick ball movement, we got them on the outside a bit,” Fogarty explained.
“Bayswater is a really strong inside team, led by their captain (Galvin) who gave them a lift in the second quarter, but we got speed on the ball on the outside and exposed them a little bit for pace.”
With 13 players aged 21 years or under on the weekend, including stand-in captain Jack Docherty, Fogarty believes it was really important to finally get that first win on the board.
“It’s massive, because I don’t think we’ve been playing badly, they give effort all the time, but it’s just been about finishing our work off,” he said.
“We’ve been in every game we’ve played, it’s just great to finally get the four points on the board.
“We’ve got East Ringwood this week, they’re undefeated and looking like one of the teams that are going to be right there at the pointy end, so we go there with renewed confidence that we can match it with these sides on our day.
“We’re going to have fluctuations with our young group, and we can’t expect them to be best on ground, week-in-week-out, we just want then to contribute and let the senior players lead the way.”
Smith was superb for the Eagles, booting five goals in a match-defining display, while Sam Cachia and Matt Johnson were also instrumental in the victory with three each.
Tanner Stanton and Lachie Valentine continued their great work in the back half, while Sam Mackinder kicked his first senior goal in an equally effective display.
Despite now having just one win from three outings, Fogarty is confident his team can improve considerably as the season rolls on.
“If we just hang in there and get the balance of win losses even, if not minus one, then get back some really important senior players back for the second half…who knows,” he says.
“But at the moment we need to keep it simple…minimise the damage when the other team has momentum and make the most of it when we have it.”
The clash against East Ringwood this Saturday begins at 2.2opm at East Ringwood Reserve.
EASTERN DIVISION ONE
ROUND-3 RESULTS
Croydon 6.10.46 v East Ringwood 9.5.59, Mooroolbark 15.14.104 v Montrose 13.11.89, Beaconsfield 14.4.88 v Bayswater 6.14.50, Upper Ferntree Gully 10.4.64 v Wantirna South 15.12.102, Mitcham 13.10.88 v Lilydale 10.17.77.
LADDER
Mooroolbark, East Ringwood 12, Wantirna South, Croydon 8, Lilydale, Bayswater, Beaconsfield, Montrose, Mitcham 4, Upper Ferntree Gully 0.
ROUND-4 FIXTURE – SATURDAY, 30 APRIL
Bayswater v Mitcham, East Ringwood v Beaconsfield, Lilydale v Mooroolbark, Montrose v Upper Ferntree Gully, Wantirna South v Croydon.
