By Jonty Ralphsmith
CLASSY REDBACKS GO 2-0
Even in the absence of two key contributors to the round-one victory, Hampton Park was untroubled by East Malvern.
Coach Hayden Stanton was pleased with the even spread of contributors in the 51-point victory.
Nathan Carver, who kicked a bag of goals last week and reigning best and fairest winner Ryan Hillard were both missing for personal reasons.
Hillard’s eleventh-hour withdrawal was one of multiple late changes with the Redbacks ability to adapt impressive.
Kyle Hendy kicked six goals as Hampton Park took in a smaller forward-line, which changed the way Stanton’s men moved the footy.
A seven goal to one second quarter for the Redbacks blew the game open and formed the blueprint for how Hampton Park want to use its runners and advance the ball forward.
The experience and ball use of Tanner Stanton and Trent Thomas was important as the game got more chaotic after halftime.
Stingrays-listed Jack Wilson found a bit of the footy as a sixth forward rolling up to the contest, and he kicked a goal.
Wilson’s Talent League teammate, Corey Braden, also playing his first game of the season, was handed a difficult match-up and rose to it as the match wore on.
With the reserves also undefeated after two games, and having talent such as 2022 senior staples Sean Winsall and exciting youngster Jesse Naylor running around, the club looks in a good position.
The Redbacks will face a big test this week against a big East Brighton side which will give a true indication of how far they have progressed.
The Vampires have recruited well and their ascendancy on the rest of the competition was on show on the weekend against 2022 runners-up Doveton.
DOVES DEMOLISHED
Doveton went down 18.14 122 to 4.6 30, with the demolition job set up by a first quarter where the home team had 17 scoring shots to two and 26 inside 50s to five.
“They out-hunted us, out-ran us, out-smarted us and wanted it more,” said player-coach Michael Cardamone.
It clearly exposed a concerning trend for the Doves that their start to games is always sub-par.
Cardamone’s men have lost the first quarter of all three of their practice matches and their two regular season games – but that has been papered over as they have previously been able to claw their way back.
It has the coach considering changing the way the squad warms up to have them switched on from the first siren.
Once the game was on East Brighton’s terms, no-one was able to take ownership and turn the tide, with several seasoned players missing and those in the side unable to acclimatise to the Vampires’ physicality and pressure.
“We were never able to control the footy and slow the tempo and neutralise for five or 10 minutes to then try and shift the momentum,” Cardamone said.
With several East Brighton forwards damaging, Sam Muirhead, who looked potent as a target inside 50 last week, was thrown behind the ball – one of several magnets thrown around after quarter time.
The energetic Ricky Johnson gave it his all throughout the contest but could never shift the tide for an extended period as Doveton was outclassed.
Jimmy Pattinson kicked two goals and was also named among the best.
The club is hoping to regain ruck Dylan Chapman ahead of this week’s clash with Murrumbeena.
HELMORE THE HERO
Two games into his career at a new club and Daniel Helmore has already made himself a club favourite.
The Garfield recruit kicked the winning goal in Springvale Districts’ two-point victory over St Kilda City.
He crumbed the long kick in to the Dees forward 50 and banged it on his boot from 20 metres out.
After the Saints kicked the only two goals of the first term, Springvale Districts clawed its way back into it and once they closed the early lead there was several lead changes throughout the day.
Key forward Matt Wetering backed up his bag of seven last week with five of the hosts’ nine goals – being the barometer in attack.
Small forward Alex Derzekos kicked two goals while Toby Arms was important in the clinches.
DINGOES BOUNCE BACK
Fitness and belief got Dingley over the line in a tight contest at Cranbourne.
The Dingoes trailed by more than two goals, halfway through the final stanza, and it looked like the Eagles would run over the top.
But a flurry of four late goals gave Dingley a statement win.
Adam Peacock kicked two of those on the run and was influential in the last quarter, while Lochie Benton was also part of plenty of attacking chains when it mattered most.
Benton was moved to halfback late in the game to try and get the ball going forward and started several scoring chains and attacking slingshots that got Dingley over the line.
He kicked three goals across the first three quarters.
The midfield battle was an intriguing one.
The Dingoes had league medalist Lucas Walmsley and ex-AFL player Nathan Freeman producing their usual output and had some plans to nullify Cranbourne star Zak Roscoe.
The visitors tried to get physical with him and man him up on transition but Roscoe was still able to impact the contest.
His stoppage craft was outstanding and he was still able to break away, find plenty of the footy, open the game up and kick three goals.
Key forward Marc Holt kicked two with Horsley pleased with the job that defender Alex Windhager did.
Windhager used his athleticism and fitness to get Holt up the ground and was able to use his leap to limit Holt’s aerial impact, while he was also supported by the cavalry so was rarely caught one-out.
With several new faces, a younger list demographic and a first-time coach implementing a changed game plan, last week’s heavy defeat had many doubting Dingley.
However the internal belief was that the loss was attributed to an inability to convert given they won the inside 50 count by 15.
That confidence was justified on the weekend with a 14.9 93 to 13.6 84 victory.
The visitors had the breeze in the first quarter and were up four goals to two, giving themselves better looks at goal, but even still, missing some opportunities to extend the lead further.
It was tight until the start of the fourth quarter, with skipper Jackson Peet leading Dingley’s surge out of the middle and Lachie Lamble providing run and drive on the wing.
Cranbourne had a fast start to the fourth quarter as ruck Mick Boland set the Eagles up from the middle, which gave them a lead that was able to be pegged back.
Kirk Dickson kicked three while Brandon Osborne and Ryan Jones each performed well.
DIVISION ONE
Results R2: Port Melbourne Colts 16.19 115 v Chelsea Heights 5.7 37, Cheltenham 19.13 127 v Bentleigh 7.6 48, St Paul’s McKinnon 10.8 68 v Mordialloc 9.12 66, Springvale Districts 9.12 66 v St Kilda City 9.10 64, Cranbourne 13.6 84 v Dingley 14.9 83.
Ladder: Springvale Districts, Port Melbourne Colts, Cheltenham, Cranbourne, St Paul’s McKinnon 8, Dingley 4, St Kilda City, Mordialloc, Bentleigh, Chelsea Heights 0.
Fixture R3: Chelsea Heights v Springvale Districts, Cheltenham v St Paul’s McKinnon, St Kilda City v Mordialloc, Dingley v Port Melbourne Colts, Bentleigh v Cranbourne.
DIVISION TWO
Results R2: Skye 7.6 48 v Keysborough 5.7 37*, East Malvern 6.19 55 v Hampton Park 16.10 106, East Brighton 18.14 122 v Doveton Doves 4.6 30, Murrumbeena 10.13 73 v Caulfield 10.9 69
Highett 20.23 143 v Black Rock 8.9 57. *Match was called off at three-quarter-time with Skye claiming the points.
Ladder: Hampton Park, East Brighton, Highett 8, Skye, Caulfield, Murrumbeena, Doveton 4, Keysborough, East Malvern, Black Rock 0.
Fixture R3: East Malvern v Highett, East Brighton v Hampton Park, Black Rock v Skye, Doveton Doves v Murrumbeena, Keysborough v Caulfield Bears.
