Murrumbeena was victorious in the bottom-team battle at Amstel Reserve on the weekend rubbing salt into the wounds of Cranbourne to win by 62 points.
Eagles coach Angelo Soldatos said a lack of pressure in the midfield gave the defenders no chance at keeping the ball out.
“We got smacked around the ball and gave up too much territory … that has probably been the story of the year really,” he said.
“Our midfield stuff has been below par and that was probably as bad as it has been on the weekend.”
The game was a good old-fashioned slog from the outset, and sighs of frustration echoed around the ground in the first term as both teams kicked poorly – a combined 2.9 was scored in the opening quarter.
The undermanned Eagles failed to capitalise with the breeze and the visiting Lions made them pay, getting a run-on in the second quarter to kick three goals in four minutes.
The game, season and any hope of remaining in Division 1, was slipping away with every Murrumbeena goal.
The home side looked tired and defeated in the second half, as skill execution really let the side down when trying to advance the ball forward.
After being outscored once again (20-7) when kicking with the wind, Cranbourne found itself trailing by 34 points at three-quarter time.
Tom Freyer, Jake Cowburn and Brandon Osborne worked hard in defence, but it was coming in too easily.
“We have just asked our defenders to do way too much, our best few players this year have been key defenders which sums up what the season has looked like really,” Soldatos said.
“The damage was probably done in the third quarter, to have the wind and kick one goal, and concede three.”
The Eagles’ three-quarter time message from Soldatos was firm but not without optimism, telling his team to believe – and to surge the ball forward at all costs.
You could hear players saying “it’s do or die” and hopeful shouts of “we can win this” but it was to no avail as the Lions roared in the fourth term, scoring 29-1 and extending the final margin to 62 points.
Pat Bannister had a day out for Murrumbeena, getting plenty of the ball through the middle, while Tom Buckley (three goals), Ed Standish and Steven Tolongs (two goals each) impacted the scoreboard.
“Trying to salvage something out of the year is going to be challenging, but having a bit of self-pride in what we do is probably the big one for the group,” Soldatos said.
Results will have to go the way of the Eagles if they are to avoid relegation, they also must win against Port Melbourne this weekend to give themselves a tiny spark.
In other games, St Paul’s McKinnon held off a valiant Springvale Districts side by just eight points in what was the game of the round.
The Bulldogs held a 36-18-lead at half time, before the Demons came out and kicked 6.1 in the third term, including the last four of the quarter to trail by just one point heading into the fourth.
When they added the first two goals of the last quarter, Springvale Districts had an 11-point lead, but St Paul’s kicked four of the next five majors to win the match.
Bentleigh cemented its spot in fourth position after a 15-point victory over East Brighton as Jack Hastings led the way with three goals for the Demons.
It was a hot start for both teams with 10 goals scored in the first term, before the scoring dried up and Bentleigh held on for a crucial victory.
Dingley boasts an impressive season record of 13-1 and despite a challenge from Narre Warren, the Dingoes prevailed.
The Magpies trailed by just three points at half time, but Dingley forwards Tom Morecroft, Scanlan Lynch, Lachlan Benton and Mitchell Cook (three goals each) got on top of Narre Warren’s defence – Tom Toner kicked three for the black and white.
A five-goal haul from Cheltenham’s Dylan Weickhardt led the Rosellas to a 69-point win over Port Melbourne.
Ex-St Kilda footballer Jack Lonie had the football on a string and kicked two goals in the big victory.
NETBALL
Narre Warren lost just its third game of the Southern Open netball season, falling short against ladder-leader Dingley 53-49.
The match-ups against the Dingoes have always produced a close contest and the sides will meet again in finals, when everything is at stake.
Michelle Mashado’s team will take on Edithvale Aspendale this Saturday at Regents Park with hopes of bouncing back before finals begin the following week.
SOUTHERN DIV 1
Results R14: Murrumbeena 11.17 (83) def Cranbourne 2.9 (21), Dingley 16.12 (108) def Narre Warren 11.7 (73), Bentleigh 12.12 (84) def East Brighton 10.9 (69), Cheltenham 17.15 (117) def Port Melbourne 7.6 (48), St Paul’s McKinnon 12.12 (84).
Ladder: Dingley 52, St Paul’s McKinnon 44, Cheltenham 38, Bentleigh 34, Springvale Districts 28, East Brighton 24, Murrumbeena, Narre Warren 18, Port Melbourne 16, Cranbourne 8.
Fixture R15: Bentleigh (4) v Narre Warren (8), Port Melbourne (9) v Cranbourne (10), Springvale Districts (5) v East Brighton (6), St Paul’s McKinnon (2) v Cheltenham (3), Murrumbeena (7) v Dingley (1).
