Domination name of Joeys game
WHEN the final siren sounded to signal St Joseph’s 104point win and the end of a brutal day for Bell Park, you could almost hear the gauntlet being laid down by the reigning premier as well.
Saturday’s thumping victory was not just a convincing win, it was an exercise in dominance — a message to the rest of the GFL that Joeys can annihilate even a side like the Dragons, a perennial finalist who should be around the mark again this season.
Despite all the rightful hype surrounding St Mary’s, the victory was a statement of intent by St Joseph’s to remind everyone who is still top dog.
“I thought it was a powerful win,” St Joseph’s coach Heath Jamieson said post-match.
“Everyone says we haven’t played much, but South (Barwon), who we’ve played, are going all right and you can only beat who you’re playing against.
“I think our footy’s been pretty good and we haven’t really been tested in our few games up to here, so it was our first real test and I thought the boys were fantastic.”
In his first senior match for the year, Lachie Devine kicked six goals to be the unlikely hero for St Joseph’s, proving how fierce the competition is for a place in Joeys’ best side.
He was well supported by Cam Tudor (three goals) and a lively Curtis McCarthy (two goals).
“I think we were up by six or seven goals by halftime, and you could just peter out in the second half and leave the ground with that margin and be happy with that,” Jamieson said.
“But the way we just continued to test ourselves was great. I think it was our determination to put the foot down and finish the work.”
The reigning premier had effectively killed the game off as a contest by quarter time, slamming on six goals to take advantage of Bell Park’s slow start for a third consecutive week.
Joeys increased their margin at every change in a dominant display well led by Alex Hickey, Brant Haintz, Devine and McCarthy.
“What you find with a good side is the pressure, internally, to continue to play well,” Jamieson said.
“Lachie (Devine) has been our best performed player in the reserves, and got his opportunity with Brenton Rees getting called up to Werribee and he ended with six goals.
“That internal rivalry that we’ve got at the moment is what’s pushing us to wins like this.”
L. Devine 6, C. Tudor 3, C. McCarthy 2, J. Buckley 2, T. Denning, R. Hultgren, B. Haintz, R. Adams, L. Anderson, J. McLachlan, R. Kershaw, P. Dreher.
T. Stevenson 2, J. Garth, T. O’Leary.
St Joseph’s — A. Hickey, B. Haintz, L. Devine, C. McCarthy, R. Ferguson, B. Capra.
T. Stevenson, K. Bucovaz, L. Patten.
Bell Park — Best: Bell Park — COLAC 2.6 6.13 10.20 11.24 (90) NEWTOWN & CHILWELL 3.2 8.4 10.7 13.10 (88) Goals: Colac —
K. Leersen 3, T. Woodmason 2, K. Spokes, Z. Zdybel, E. Floyd, L. Hillman, J. McGuane, T. Rieniets.
Newtown & Chilwell —
D. Troop 3, S. Nichols 2, C. Joseph 2, F. House 2, M. McMahon, M. Diamond, L. Hyland, H. Dolley.
Z. Zdybel, P. Presani, L. Veale, T. Rieniets, K. Spokes, B. Monaghan.
Best: Colac — Newtown & Chilwell —
J. Jones, A. Cincotta, M. Boag, M. McMahon, J. Sheahan, L. Hyland.
GROVEDALE 1.7 2.11 9.15 13.19 (97) GEELONG WEST GIANTS 1.4 7.6 8.6 9.9 (63) Goals: Grovedale —
J. Bruns 2, M. Harvey 2, K. Betson 2, W. Ford 2, J. Rosengren, B. Jones, L. Ford, N. Deans, C. Delaney.
Geelong West Giants —
C. Moreland 3, J. Symes 2, D. Smith, H. Darke, B. Wood, P. Eastman.
Best: Grovedale —
M. Harvey, C. Delaney, N. Deans, K. Betson, L. Headlam, L. Ford.
Geelong West Giants —
D. Peel, C. Moreland, P. Eastman, L. Mitchell, J. Collins, S. Frangos.
NORTH SHORE 2.2 6.6 8.9 11.13 (79) LARA 5.2 7.4 9.5 10.7 (67) Goals: North Shore —
J. Dobosz 2, J. Miljevic 2, N. Peoples 2, H. Purcell, A. Seller, Z. Plant, S. Harmer, A. Bowd.
D. Jose 3, D. Bennett, B. Van Doren, J. Jewell, J. Borchard, R. Cannon, B. Cockerill, B. Goodwin.
Lara — Best: North Shore —
N. Peoples, H. Purcell, S. Darley, J. Dobosz, M. VanDenBerg, C. Nankervis.
J.McCormack, D. Bennett, B. Goodwin, A. Stone, L. Turner, D. Weigl.
Lara — LEOPOLD 8.5 17.8 22.14 34.20 (224) ST ALBANS 0.0 0.1 2.2 3.4 (22) Goals: Leopold —
B. Howarth 6, T. Ruggles 5, L. Boyd 5, B. Smedts 4, J. Thompson 3, P. Norton 2, S. Scott 2, L. Wagener, M. Miller, D. Pitcher, M. Thompson, M. Patten, T. West, T. Thompson. J. Watson-Serle 3, B. Vermeulen.
B. Howarth, J. Thompson, B. Smedts, T. Ruggles, T. West, T. Gordon.
B. Vermeulen, J. Burke, P. Burchell, W. Lord, S. Wolfenden, A. Higgins.
St Albans — St Albans — Best: Leopold — ST MARY’S 4.0 9.4 15.7 17.10 (112) SOUTH BARWON 3.3 3.5 8.5 9.7 (61) Goals: St Mary’s —
T. McMullan 3, A. Grace 3, M. Copley 3, T. Gillies 2, D. Bond 2, Z. Sherman 2, J. Garner, N. Connors.
B. Blair 3, L. Herbert, N. Gowers, L. Noble, R. Dillon, D. Sliwa, D. McCaskill.
T. McMullan, Z. Sherman, J. Cowan, M. Copley, J. Duncan, J. Walters.
L. Noble, B. Verfurth, B. Blair, D. Sliwa, L. Davis, C. Francis.
South Barwon — Best: St Mary’s — South Barwon —