By Bryan Mitchell
In ideal football conditions, Gippsland Power completed the first half of the 2005 TAC Cup season with a comprehensive 98 point demolition of the Oakleigh Chargers at Morwell last Sunday. They go into the next bye with an eight wins and one loss record and have set themselves up for a full-on assault on a top four finish to the season. Neither side was at full strength with injuries, school commitments and suspensions taking their toll but it was the Chargers who were the most severely disadvantaged by the circumstances.
The Power opened well with some unselfish play and this was to set the scene for much of their performance throughout the game. The Chargers were proving dangerous on the rebound and were well in the game as a consequence. The Power were not respectful enough of their opponents and were only 13 points ahead at the first change despite having much of the play during the term.
Things looked even worse at the commencement of the second term with the Chargers kicking the first goal but some Chris Dunne magic inspired them to lift their work rates and suddenly the goals began to flow. Ben Fraser and Jay Neagle were providing potent avenues to goal and the ball was being used with dazzling speed and skill. By the long break the lead was 54 points and the Power had shown the large crowd just what they were capable of when they applied themselves.
In the third term the Powers intensity dropped a little and they began to miss goals that they were slotting easily in the first half. They were still being miserly in defence but didn't have the same efficiency when it mattered most. By the last change the Powers' lead was 78 points and Paul wanted the boys to finish off the job and reward their hard work on the scoreboard.
The Power coaching panel were using the interchange bench frequently to rotate key on-ballers and it was difficult for the boys to maintain the same fluent play that was so evident early in the game. The one thing that didn't change was their commitment to each other and the unselfishness on the forward line was a highlight. Despite only adding 5 majors for the term, the Power still had the crowd in awe with their slick teamwork and ferocious attack on the ball.
They had many free kicks awarded against them for their intense attack on the ball but it did little to deter them from putting continuous pressure on their opponents for four quarters. By the final siren the margin was 98 points but more importantly they had played the sort team football needed to be successful in September.
Final scores Gippsland Power 22 goals 14 behinds 146 points defeated Oakleigh Chargers 7 goals 6 behinds 48 points. Goal kickers Ben Fraser 8, Jay Neagle 6, Chris Dunne 4, Ricky Delphine, Scott Pendlebury, Zac Vansittart and Joel Morgan 1 each. In a fantastic team effort, the better players were Ben Fraser, Chris Dunne, Nathan Lieshout, Ricky Delphine, Jay Neagle, Jaymie Youle, Jeff Ryan and Zac Vansittart.
As stated earlier, the TAC Cup has a bye to allow the Vic Country state under-18 squad to have a camp and then trial game against the Metropolitan squad. Livewire back man Tom Dowd has been called up to the squad and this means that the Power now has 13 boys in contention for the "bigV". This is a great achievement for the Power and realistically they could have a sizeable representation in the final team of 25. For Paul and his fellow selectors it means that they will be without the nucleus of the team for crucial games against the Geelong Falcons and Murray Bushrangers. This scenario provides opportunities for the rest of the Power squad to stake a claim for a place in the team for the run in to the finals. There are many talented boys who have been patiently waiting for their chance and their determination and desire will ensure that the team's momentum is maintained.
In previous seasons many of these boys would have already have had games under their belt, but the unique quality of the 2005 side has meant that there has been little need to make changes to the team. The end result will be that the intensity at training will be at fever pitch for those wanting to press their claims and the selectors will be working hard to sort out competitive teams for the big games coming up.
Last Modified on 21/05/2008 17:33