The unbeaten run continues for the Rovers Reserves. Some of the older supporters around the club say this is the best start to a season for the Ressies since the halcyon days of the threepeat in 1967-69! Another smashing victory on Saturday against a team that like us, has final’s aspirations. Now on top of the ladder and flying!
A great four quarter effort by the Rovers. Easily the best for the season. No slow starts this week and the boys opened with five goals in the first to a solitary goal by the opposition. Apart from a two minute burst at the start of the third quarter where Preston booted two goals, the Rovers controlled the game for 90% of the time. Hard to single out individual efforts because it was really a team performance.
While the forwards can get a lot of credit the backline was gelling very well together – knowing when to drop off their opponent and support a team mate or fill a gap. There were many occasions when the back line had the ball in the last line and then made some good switches to open up the ground by kicking to some hard-running leads out wide. Then the overlap started and before you knew it, the ball was delivered beautifully into the forward line.
With Chief, Milesy and Jacko in attack at various stages, the Rovers had size and weight to our advantage. There was a risk the Rovers would have too much tall timber, but when Chief kicked a pearler of a goal in front of the clubrooms, with a couple of spins and baulks, it was proof that was not the case.
The goals were coming from all sources. Goals from nice passes into space. Crumbed goals when the talls competed in the air and goals when the talls did take a mark. Who’d want to be a backman this week for Preston? Conditions were ideal, but this was easily the Rovers best effort for team work and good use of skills to move the ball quickly.
HAMPTON ROVERS 5.3 12.7 15.11 21.16 (142)
PRESTON BULLANTS 1.2 1.5 3.6 4.7 (31)
Goal Kickers: N. Jackson 5, J. Zaina 3, B. Culvenor 2, N. Fallon 2, C. Tate 2, M. Bright, Z. Raghdo, R. Fogarty, N. Jewell, C. Miles, M. Fletcher, J. Young
Best Players: N. Jackson, C. Tate, J. Zaina, N. Fallon, R. Fogarty, N. Jewell
Earier in the day, the Rovers Thirds took on Kew at Victoria Park in an important game in the context of the finals race.
Great to see the skipper, Adam Power, impose himself in a game up forward again this year. He won the goalkicking about 16 years ago when the club was playing in Premier B Section. Five goals in a BOG performance just shows that the veteran can still turn in on. Similarly, Matt Innes was dominating the goalkicking in the Under 19 2009 Premiership year and it’s great to see him featuring in the best.
A great fighting win by the boys against Kew who were a game ahead of us on the ladder and had been playing well. The win has put Hampton ahead of the pack in second place on the ladder behind Monash Blues who are on top, undefeated and three games clear.
KEW 1.3 3.6 6.7 7.12 (54)
ROVERS 3.3 7.3 8.6 9.9 (63)
Goal Kickers: A. Power 5, C. Ellison, M. Flahive, M. Innes, H. McIntyre
Best Players: A. Power, M. Innes, S. Constantinou, C. Ellison, A. Hoar, L. Mather
