NEPEAN INTERLEAGUE
By Toe Punt
DESPITE an under strength Nepean League team going into battle at Rosebud’s Olympic Park on Saturday, it proved far too strong for Central Murray FL on Saturday.
Nepean League dominated in the opening and last quarters to run out comfortable 16.12.108 to 9.15.69 winners.
Central Murray FL got with two goals on a couple of occasions late in the second quarter and got within five points in the third, but they were no match for the locals when the game was there to be won.
It was no surprise that Nepean league won the match, even without a full strength line-up.
Nepean League had just 12 players at the first training session.
The lack of support from players and some clubs again highlighted that the support of the interleague concept is far from great, which is a direct reflection on the governing body, PCN Alliance, along with its member clubs.
Dromana and Rye were very well represented with five and four players respectively each in the team, while Red Hill and Crib Point had three each. That’s three quarters of the team from four clubs.
The match as a spectacle never reached any great heights, other than the performance of Sorrento goal kicking machine Leigh Poholke, who finished the afternoon with seven goals.
Justin Berry was superb throughout the contest and highlighted his appetite for interleague football, while Crib Point’s Waide Symes and Red Hill’s Josh Mold provided a lot of run and grunt around the footy and run through the middle of the ground.
While skipper Rhett Sutton was overshadowed in the ruck, his athleticism and domination around the ground was a highlight of the match.
Dromana’s new 6.11’ recruit, Blake McGrath, looked as though he was going to kick a big bag of goals after he booted two and handed Poholke he’s first major in the first 10 minutes of the game.
The score line was five goals to one in the opening quarter.
Nepean league coach Ben Holmes wanted more voice on the field in the second quarter from his charges and asked for McGrath to be left one-out in the square with fellow key forwards Poholke and Red Hill’s Jarryd Douglas to play higher up the ground.
However, Nepean League started to get cute with the footy in the second quarter, which allowed the fired-up Central Murray to boot three unanswered goals and get themselves back in the content.
Former Collingwood-listed player Toby Thoolen was providing a handful for the Nepean defenders.
The margin at the long interval was 15 points.
The third quarter was much of the same as the second. Central Murray came out fired-up, kicked the first of the quarter and reduced the margin to seven points.
It was like Nepean League was waiting for a challenge. Poholke took the game by the scruff and along with Terry Wheeler, Symes and Berry, were able to regain their stronghold and turn a five-point margin halfway through the term to four goals at the final change.
Despite Central Murray kicking the first goal of the final quarter, Nepean League dominated from that point on and ran away with a 39-point victory.
The under 18s had a big win, booting 24.14.158 to 8.12.60.
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