Poowong emerge as dark horse
Poowong have advanced to the Ellinbank District Football League first semi-final after comfortably accounting for Catani on Sunday, 13-12 (90) to 6-13 (49).
The Magpies, who hope to regain Ben Hancock for next week’s match against Warragul Industrials, had far too much pace for Catani to end the Blues’ premiership defence.
The Blues’ inability to convert on their home ground, the second term particularly where a return of 1-6 saw an opportunity to work back into the contest wasted, was the other telling factor in the result.
It was the Magpies who surprised early and jumped out of the blocks.
An injury to Jaemeel Knecht in the opening minutes didn’t deter the Magpies, who went long early to find Trevor Hooker in prime position to mark and convert the first goal of the match.
Hooker was in it again when he won a free kick for push and while he was kicking from out wide on this occasion, he was accurate again to slot the Magpies’ second.
John Alexander made a long shot that carried over the line to keep the Blues in touch.
Magpies midfielder Jack Hazendonk began to push forward with devastating effect, snapping consecutive goals in a matter of minutes to allow the visitor to a 21-point lead at the first change.
The Blues would pepper the goals for much of the third quarter but could only manage a run of four minor scores, only for the Magpies to find scoring much easier at the other end.
Tom Wyatt ran onto a ball that carried over the pack, James Doria broke through from a ball up for a clutch stoppage goal and Hazendonk converted from a juggling mark as the Blues’ inaccuracy proved costly.
Only conversions late in the a term that the Blues had for the most part controlled gave the Blues some much needed hope heading into half time.
Nicholas Visser took a strong mark at centre half forward and while he also failed to connect for a helicopter kick, it carried the line for a much needed goal.
Jackson Caddy’s long kick from a pack scored true to bring the margin back to 21points at the long break and give the Blues some hope.
Blues captain Nathaniel Rodda did his best to marshal his troops as they returned to the field for the second half.
“We’ve got to have belief to come back from this,” he said.
“There is no way we are throwing our season away here today.”
Wade Haysom collected a mark running back towards goal to convert before a long checkside from Caddy found Owen Fitzpatrick in front position to reduce the margin to eight points.
Unfortunately for the Blues that’s all they had left in the tank, scoring only one more goal for the remainder of the match while the Magpies finished full of running.
The final three goals of the third term helped the Magpies re-establish control, with Wyatt roving to send the Magpies into the final change enjoying a 27-point advantage.
Wyatt snapped a goal while roving to begin the final term in a carbon copy of his previous goal to make it a difficult ask for the Blues.
Pattison found a teammate in space to register the Blues’ sixth, but Hazendonk provided the immediate response with a converted set shot from long range.
A checkside goal from the pocket following a Magpies kick squirted across the face capped a strong performance from the Magpies, who have established themselves as the dark horse of the finals series.