Following two successive defeats, the Hampton Rovers returned to the winners list with a comprehensive 50-point win over the Oakleigh Krushers at WA Scammell Reserve on Saturday.
Hampton and Oakleigh have developed quite a rivalry in the past four years and going into this Round 4 clash the ledger was all square with three wins apiece. The Rovers were boosted by the return of some key players including forwards Guy Martyn, Daniel Corp, Matthew Lawrence and ruckman Anton Duddy.
The wind was blowing a gale towards the forward pocket at the golf course end the Rovers had the use of it in the opening quarter. From the outset , they looked a different side from the previous week with their intensity at the ball stepped up to another level.
The first term saw the Rovers kick four goals six with the home side managing just the two behinds into the wind. In for his first game this season, Guy Martyn picked up where he left off last year putting on a dominant display in the forward line taking contested marks and kicking accurately.
The second stanza would tell a lot about where this game was heading, but again it was the Rovers who dominated, kicking three goals while Oakleigh managed just the two and seven behinds. At the main break it was the Rovers looking the good on the field and on the scoreboard, leading by 32 points.
Rovers coach Matthew Robbins was happy with his chargers first half performance and urged for more of the same in the second half. The players came out in the third term and produced more of the same, kicking five goals to Oakleighs two. The Rovers didnt have a bad player on the ground with everyone performing well and giving it their all.
Despite holding a healthy lead at the final break, the opening minutes of the final term would be crucial to ensure the home side didnt creep back in to the contest. It was a tight start but the game soon opened up and the Rovers ended up kicking a further four goals into the wind. Oakleigh also kicked four in the last but overall it was a dominate display by the Rovers who won every quarter of the game. As the final siren blew, it was a solid 50-point victory for the green & gold, winning 16.17.113 to 8.15.63.
Guy Martyn finished the game with five goals, while Semmel returned to form kicking three and Devereaux and Lawrence kicked two each. Amongst the best players for the victors were Gary Carr, Kyle Pinto, Jackson Ward, Ryan Semmel, Dave Robbins and Mark Devereaux.
In other VAFA Premier B results, Old Ivanhoe account for St Kevins to remain the only undefeated team, Old Essendon notched up their first win of the season defeating Old Carey, Old Haileybury downed St Bernards and University Blacks were too strong for Melbourne High.
The VAFA Premier B ladder is a logjam with the Rovers equal fourth with four other sides, but sitting in seventh due to a less-superior percentage. Next week the Rovers return to Boss James Reserve to take on University Blacks.
HAMPTON ROVERS 4.6 7.11 12.16 16.17 (113)
OAKLEIGH 0.2 2.9 4.11 8.15 (63)
Goals: G. Martyn 5, R. Semmel 3, M. Devereaux 2, M. Lawrence 2, D. Corp , E. Turner , A. McNeil , A. Duddy
Best: G. Carr, K. Pinto, J. Ward, R. Semmel, D. Robbins, M. Devereaux
The Rovers Reserves had a disappointing performance going down to Oakleigh while the Thirds were accounted for by Ormond. The Under 19s had a heart-breaking two-point loss to Old Mentonians in a replay of the 2009 Grand Final.
