TIGERS CHARGE TO SEASON’S END
TORQUAY coach Dom Gleeson does not believe his side has secured a finals berth yet, urging his group to finish the season strongly despite a dominant 82-point victory over Queenscliff.
The Tigers climbed to fourth, a game ahead of sixthplaced Drysdale and equal on points with Barwon Heads (third) and Modewarre (fifth).
“We’d always like to be a little bit safer,” Gleeson said after the 19.19 (133) to 8.3 (51) win at McCartney Oval.
“We’ve got two games to come that we must win to absolutely cement our spot.
“But it is nice to have that winning form over the past three weeks.
“We’re in a good position, but we’ve got two big hurdles to come.”
Paul McMahon was the star for Torquay, kicking five goals and taking plenty of marks in his first senior game since Round 12 following injury.
Ben Raidme, Jack Heathcote, Gleeson, Callum Currie, Tyler Lovell and Cameron Lockwood booted two goals apiece as the Tigers had far too many options for the Coutas to handle. Defender Jesse White was the Tigers’ best.
“We held him (McMahon) back another week and it was beneficial for him and gave us great confidence,” Gleeson said of McMahon, who kicked all five goals before threequarter time. “To be up at three-quarter time, we left him on for another 10 minutes to make sure the game was won and then we took him off.
“He’ll build into some really good form from here.”
Queenscliff was within touch midway through the second term after Cam Habgood kicked truly to narrow the margin to 16 points.
But from then on it was all Torquay.
McMahon kicked three goals in the third term to blow the game open and seal the result.
“I feel like we’re building to some good form with our players back now,” Gleeson said.
“That consistency we were lacking through the middle part of the year where we were dropping games is back, and it’s a really encouraging win for us.”
Che Durran was comfortably the Coutas’ best.
THRILLER FOR ROOS
ANGLESEA held on for a thrilling win over Barwon Heads to keep its top-three hopes alive, winning 12.11 (83) to 12.9 (81).
It was yet another scalp for a Roos side that many recently believed was the most vulnerable of the top six sides in the race for finals action.
Trailing all day, Barwon Heads kicked four finalquarter goals to storm home, but to no avail.
The mid-season return of Dale Carson is proving significant for the Roos. In his past four matches he has been named either best or secondbest.
Jacob Nolan was just as influential with three important goals for Anglesea in one of his best performances for the season.
POWER TASTES GLORY
NEWCOMB produced one of the upsets of the season to shake up the top five yet again, defeating Drysdale 12.9 (81) to 10.13 (73).
The loss leaves Drysdale — a side many believed to be a premiership smoky — one game and percentage outside the five going into the final fortnight of the season.
The Power set up the win in the third quarter, kicking six goals to three to build on its half-time lead.
Andrew Mead-Harding booted four goals, with James Hussey Newcomb’s best in what will be remembered as one of the Power’s finest wins under coach Rory Nicol.
SECOND QUARTER BLITZ
OCEAN Grove kept Portarlington winless, defeating the Demons 14.9 (93) to 7.8 (50) at Ray Menzies Oval.
Despite five goals from Portarlington’s Steven Hicks, the Grubbers proved too good, blasting the game wide open in the second quarter with seven goals to one.
Tom Hobbs was Ocean Grove’s best, with Jake Ward and Mitch Lindkvist kicking three goals each for the winners. It was the Grubbers’ fourth win of a tough season.