By David Nagel
Cora Lynn has proven itself a genuine premiership contender after the Cobras rolled top-of-the-table Nar Nar Goon by three points in an absorbing battle on a perfect day for football at Cora Lynn.
The Cobras were forced to put final-siren hugs and handshakes on hold, as a free-kick was awarded to Goon skipper Trent Armour seconds after the final siren had sounded.
The field umpires failed to hear the siren, with play continuing for roughly 10 seconds after time had come to an end.
Armour’s kick – further delayed after an injury to Cora Lynn defender Luke Black – drifted short and wide of the target from 50 out, giving the Cobras a well-deserved 13.4(82) to 11.13(79) victory.
The Cobras were pumped up for this one from the outset, with Luke Hartley and Nathan Gardiner having two on the board inside the first six minutes of play.
And when Lachie Coverdale drilled a set shot; the Cobs were 19-1 ahead as 11 minutes ticked by.
The Cobras were ferocious at the footy, with a run-down tackle by Jimmy Munro on Armour showing what the home side was all about.
It took Nar Nar Goon 21 minutes to have its first meaningful entry inside forward 50, with Nate Pipicelli converting after a great set up from Luke Bettio.
Billy Thomas had a great first quarter in the ruck; allowing the hungry Cobras first use of the footy.
The Goon would have been in awful strife at quarter time if not for the intercept marking of centre half back James Cairns.
“They were all over you, and we’re very lucky they’re not six goals in front,” said Goon coach Justin Stanton to his team at quarter time.
“They worked harder than you; it’s as simple as that.
“Switch the ball; let’s get the game on our terms.”
Stanton’s words initially fell on deaf ears as the Cobras maintained their momentum into the second term.
Defender Lachie Peluso barged through the centre of the ground to set up a Matt Ryan set shot; the Cobras 19 points ahead, a minute into the second.
The game levelled out for the next 10 minutes or so, but when Gardiner nailed his second for the afternoon the home side was cruising; ahead by 25.
Nar Nar Goon then finally had a burst of energy, with Flynn Parker, Cairns and Brent Hughes executing the switch – which Stanton had requested – to perfection.
It resulted in a goal to Harry Brain, who then received a free kick and drilled another a minute later to cut the margin to 12; 17 minutes into the second.
But, not for the last time on the day, the Cobras resisted the Goon’s charge, with left foot snaps to Gardiner and Coverdale kicking the gap back to 23.
Ryan Bromley then belted a bomb through from 50 metres for the Goon, to make it 17 points the difference at half time.
Cora Lynn had the first scoring shot in the third quarter, but what the Goon did with the resultant kick out absolutely reeked of class.
Jake Blackwood launched a long bomb to Nate Pipicelli, who hit Matt Homfray on the lead.
Homfray then executed perfectly to full-forward Dermott Yawney, who nailed his first for the afternoon.
It was end-to-end footy at its finest, and when Yawney converted a free-kick a minute later the Goon had cut the deficit to five points…just four minutes into the third.
The Cobras were being genuinely challenged for the first time all day; how would they respond?
The answer; magnificently!
The home side kicked four in a row to weather the Nar Nar Goon storm.
Peluso and Luke Ryan showcased exquisite foot skills to set up Heath Briggs for the first, before Gardiner converted a brilliant set shot from the boundary line – 40 out – after a hit up from Jaxon Briggs.
Coverdale then got the home crowd excited with a wonderful goal off his non-preferred side, right in front of the grandstand, before Gardiner received a 50-metre penalty and drilled one from the top of the goal square.
After the Goon’s great start to the third quarter, they suddenly found themselves 28 points adrift…19 minutes in.
A late wobbler from Nate Pipicelli cut the Cobras’ advantage to a gettable 21 points at the final break.
“They will come at us boys, I need you to be organised and number up whenever they get the footy,” Cora Lynn coach Shaun Sparks instructed.
“I need one last push from you boys; our pressure needs to be at its maximum.”
The Cobras looked home and hosed after Coverdale dribbled one through on his left at the five-minute mark of the final term; the difference 26 points.
The Goon will rue missed opportunities, with Matt Gentile, Jarrod Smith and Yawney all missing very gettable set shots early in the final quarter.
But the Goon kept coming, with Yawney and Aidan Pipicelli making it just two goals the difference with 10 minutes ticked by.
Aidan Pipicelli was having a huge final term; seemingly everywhere as the Goon made its last push.
Yawney then nailed a crucial set shot, after great creativity from Gentile, to make it five points the difference at the 12-minute-mark of the final stanza.
For the second time all day…it felt like an even ball game!
Munro had a very serviceable game to this point in the contest, but then showed his true worth with a brilliant display of determined football.
He somehow extricated the Sherrin from a huge pack of congestion; allowing Heath Briggs to score from close range.
Some Cobras celebrated with Briggs, but most went to Munro given the significance of his efforts.
Brain then goaled off his left foot – after Yawney had kept the ball alive – to make it a four-point ball game at the 20-minute mark of the final quarter.
Jarrod Smith then missed another chance off his left as both teams became ultra-desperate.
Fittingly, a huge collision ended the contest, with Black down for the count as Armour lined up his attempted match-winner.
It proved a bridge too far for the champ; with the Cobras holding on in a nail-biter.
The Goon, outplayed for three quarters, kicked themselves out of victory with 4.6 to 2.0 in the final term.
But, in all honesty, it would have felt like a steal.
Gardiner finished with five for the Cobras, while Coverdale kicked four to claim the coveted Bill Doherty Medal.
Thomas was the supreme big man on the field, while Chase Blackwood, Black, Peluso, Matt Briggs, Jett Edwards, Liam Taylor and Jake Ross defended like their lives depended on it for four quarters.
After being well-held in the first half, Yawney came to life with four second-half goals – to almost be the match-winner for the Goon, who had Brain chip in with three.
Clancy Pope and JJ Peni provided run and dash across wing and half back for the vanquished, while Armour and Cairns kept their team in the hunt when things weren’t going well early.
Assistant-coach Munro was thrilled with his team’s ability to rise to the level, after recent easy wins over Bunyip, Garfield and Korumburra-Bena.
“That was an incredible game of footy; we set ourselves for this one a couple of weeks ago and it certainly delivered as a contest,” Munro said.
“It was a high-pressure game and super contested; I loved it.
“We’ve been playing some pretty good footy of late; just sticking to our systems and I think our ball use has been quite good.
“No disrespect to some of the developing sides; but playing a team like Nar Nar Goon – with their big mature bodies – is like chalk and cheese to what we’ve had recently.
“We’ve been looking forward to it and the contest certainly delivered.”
Munro was also impressed with the emerging talents of Coverdale.
“He’s hungry; he put his hand up to try and play VFL footy at the start of the year and I love that about him,” he said.
“He’s a raw talent and I can’t imagine we’ll have him for much longer; he’s going to be identified by lots of clubs across the state and the sky’s the limit for him.
“I thought Luke Black, Chase Blackwood and Matty Briggs were also good in defence: I’m proud of them for getting their rewards.”
Munro’s ability to get down and dirty made a big difference in the end, with his battle with Armour a highlight of the game.
“I’ve been described as a blue-collar laborer; a pretty unskilled laborer at that (smiles); but that’s my one-wood to get in and get the ball out to the talented fellas and let them go to work,” he said.
“He’s (Armour) a real goer isn’t he; he’s been a superstar of this competition for a few years now and I love his physical attributes; he’s quick and he’s strong.
“I love that style of play; I can’t wait to play him again.”
