By Lincoln Edmunds
@LincolnEdmunds
Listen back to this week’s The 5th Quarter podcast, featuring SFNL field umpire and former AFL goal umpire Luke Walker as the special guest, in the player above.
ROUND 5 REVIEW
Cerberus 16.16 (112) def Dandenong 5.7 (37)
Cerberus have strung together back to back wins after an imposing 75 point victory over Dandenong at McAuliffe Oval. The Dogs controlled the game from the first bounce and looked a cut above the Redlegs who have slumped to 0-5. A strong first term by the home side saw them out of the blocks with a 29-point lead before Dandenong were able to match it with them in the second term to draw the quarter.
Holding a five goal lead at the main change, Cerberus came out and put the result beyond doubt in the third term, increasing their buffer to 45 points with one quarter of footy to play. The last term was party time for the Dogs as they shared the goals around to ensure that they ran out big winners and gained some invaluable percentage.
The home sides’ forward structure has really clicked in the past fortnight with an impressive spread of goal kickers on display yet again. The Dogs had half their team hit the scoreboard with 11 individual players finding the big sticks. Shannon Schonewille ending up with four majors, while the usual ball magnets Michael Schwarz and Adam Quinn attracted plenty of the footy once again.
Carrum Patterson Lakes 23.13 (151) def Moorabbin Kangaroos 0.6 (6)
Carrum Patterson Lakes’ path of destruction has continued, demolishing Moorabbin by a titanic 145 points in a colossal performance by the premiership favourites. On their home turf the Lions were ruthless and spared the Kangaroos no mercy as they slotted 23 unanswered goals in the definition of a one sided contest.
If the score line of 66-2 at half time wasn’t miserable enough, the Lions if anything went harder after the break adding another 13 majors whilst keeping the Roos goalless for the entire game. The ruthless qualities shown by the home side justify why many think that this team will go all the way in season 2018. After such a great start, now the challenge for Coach Cain Padman will be to keep his troops focused and hungry to ensure the Lions avoid any complacency.
CPL raffled the goals around with 12 individual goal kickers, with six players slotting more than one major. Brenton Rafferty (Five goals) and Jonathon Hawes (Four goals) were the best for the home side in a day of sheer dominance.
The performance from the Kangaroos was one of the worst dished out by any team this season and will be a huge kick in the guts for the teams confidence. They came into this game as outsiders but to get blown away in the manner that they did is inexcusable. There will be plenty of soul searching at the club this week but they will need to lick their wounds and go again if they are to put a horror weekend of footy behind them.
Frankston Dolphins 20.14 (134) def Sandown 3.12 (30)
Frankston are back on the winners list with a dominant 104 point win over a wasteful Sandown at Overport Park. The Dolphins started well finding the goals six times in the first term, taking a firm grip on the contest to lead by 30 points. However the second term was one to forget for both sides as neither team were able to register a score in an uninspiring display of football.
After the break the Dolphins clicked however and slammed on 14 goals in the second half to ensure that they would return to the winners list in comfortable fashion. The big result is especially important considering CPL went to town on Moorabbin and keeps the Dolphins in touch with the top two.
Stalwart Luke Kirkland once again continued his dominance up forward and finished with a bag of nine goals. Kirkland has now slotted 17 majors in his past two appearances and has raced away as the competitions leading goal scorer with 27 overall.
The Cobras were extremely inaccurate in front of goal, notching up 3.12 in a wasteful performance. Had they converted some of their chances in the third quarter they could have been much closer at the last break but the reality is that they were outplayed by good opposition.
Lyndhurst 11.14 (80) def Lyndale 7.6 (48)
Lyndhurst’s affection for playing under lights has continued accounting for Lyndale by 32 points to notch up their third win in a row. The Lightning started brightly and had the game on their terms with 11 scoring shots to two at the main interval. The Pumas lifted after the break but their challenge was answered by the Lightning who were able to snuff out any resistance by responding on the scoreboard.
Lyndale were able to finish up outscoring the home side in the last term to reduce the end margin to 32 points. The Pumas stronger showing in the second half actually saw them win the half but ultimately their slow start cost them any real chance to have a serious crack at victory.
Hamish Browning had a day out for the Lightning ending up with four goals, while Brodie Kiss hit the scoresheet for the first time this season with two majors in a good display. The win keeps Lyndhurst a game clear of Frankston who are snapping at their heels in third place.
The Pumas struggled to find the goals in the first half but their effort in the final two quarters will be of encouragement. They will be seeking to recapture this effort on a more consistent basis in the following weeks. Bradley Edwards and Alex Kerr were the best players for the visiting side.
