Chadwick just misses second miracle victory

BRANDON Chadwick has fallen just short of kicking the Southport Sharks NEAFL side to a second dramatic win in as many weeks.

In the dying seconds of Southport’s Round 15 game against Aspley, Chadwick won a marking contest just inside the Sharks forward 50m following a gallant effort from the side to create a scoring opportunity in a piece of play that started in front of their own goals.

Chadwick kicked the goal to seal a one point win over Brisbane a week earlier and now had an opportunity to do it again after the siren at the Hornet’s Graham Rd field.

But the distance proved too much as Aspley ran out 11.11 (77) to 9.18 (72) winners in a result that has pushed Southport down to second on the ladder on percentage behind Sydney.

“Unfortunately, Brandon was just out of range,” Southport football manager Jarrod Field said. “The boys said he hit it pretty well but it just didn’t quite get there.”

Field said inaccuracy in front of goal both in general play and from set shots cost Southport.

“We cost ourselves and it came back to haunt us,” Field said. “We have probably got away with it against a few sides but it cost us this time.

“There have been four or five games throughout the year where we haven’t converted well. It’s something we have to improve on and no doubt it will be a focus at training this week.”

Southport trailed for the majority of the game and were 25 points down at halftime.

But the Sharks rallied to level the scores in the 15th minute mark of the last term and took the lead two minutes later before Aspley responded.

The result added to Southport’s poor record at Aspley where they have failed to win a NEAFL competition game in six years.

“We generally have pretty tight games up there,” Field said. “We won a practice match there this year and we have a new group anyway so it’s not as if this group hasn’t won for six years.

“It’s really different to our ground. It doesn’t have any width to it at all so it’s just a different shape.

“It’s long and skinny but there are no excuses.”

All the weekend results: P29 Most Valuable Player voting and leading NEAFL goal-kickers: in Wednesday’s Bulletin