Crushing loss puts Demons as cellar dwellers
PORTARLINGTON has been demoted to bottom spot on the BFL ladder after a crushing loss to Newcomb on Saturday.
The Demons had 10 scoring shots to seven in the first term but trailed by seven points before the Power broke the game open, kicking 13 of the next 15 goals to keep their BFL survival hopes alive.
Corey Ogle and Jack Hudson were prolific in the midfield for the visitors, while Andrew Mead-Harding helped himself to five goals in the 21.13 (139) to 7.18 (60) win.
“I didn’t have any expectations, I suppose,” Newcomb coach Rory Nicol said.
“We had KPIs we wanted to tick and that was just our focus, I suppose. Normally when our KPIs look OK — it’s probably the same for any team — the scoreboard looks OK. We just wanted to tick those boxes.”
Nicol said he was most proud with his side’s ability to weather the early pressure from Portarlington.
“Our resolve and resilience and perseverance on how we wanted to play today (pleased most),” he said.
“It took a quarter-and-ahalf to actually play how we wanted to play but we didn’t go away from it; we persevered and persevered to how we wanted to play.”
GEELONG Amateur simply proved too strong for Queenscliff on the road to keep its understated season on track.
A devastating first half saw the perennial finalist lead by 41 points at the main break, before Queescliff kicked nine of the last 16 goals to cut the final margin back to 28 points, 14.12 (96) to 10.8 (68).
Kane Smith and Matthew Walsh booted four each for the visitors, while Blake Sutterby and Brad Surkitt were named the chief destroyers.
The win sees Ammos sit a game off ladder leader Barwon Heads in third, with Anglesea second on percentage.
Queenscliff remains in the top five at 4-4, equal on points with sixth-placed Torquay.
DRYSDALE has caused the upset of the season — again — inflicting a nine-point defeat onto Ocean Grove away from home.
The last time the two sides met, in Round 13 last year, the Hawks crushed the Grubbers by 10 goals in a match that ended Ocean Grove’s topthree aspirations.
But this game was more about the Hawks than the Grubbers, who stopped themselves from falling into the relegation zone.
Mathew Hebbard kicked three for Drysdale, while Jake Carmody slotted four majors for Ocean Grove.
The Hawks have now beaten Queenscliff and Ocean Grove — two sides in the top five — but also lost to Portarlington and Newcomb, the latter of whom they’ll meet again this week.