South Bunbury remain undefeated in the Dale Alcock Homes South West, SWFL premiership season, after defeating Augusta Margaret River by 74 points at Gloucester Park on a bleak Saturday afternoon.
The first quarter was played in dry conditions, although the ground was wet from earlier rain, with both sides playing an enterprising style of football, yielding eight goals. With a strong breeze blowing across the ground, scoring was attainable at both ends, with Blaine Johnson kicking a long range goal to put the Tigers in the early lead. A few minutes later Quinn Donaldson kicked a good goal on the run to level the scores, but an errant kick in from a behind moments later, gifted the Tigers their second goal, and momentum quickly shifted. The Tigers would pepper the goals, but it resulted in four consecutive behinds before Shaun Crane kicked the visitors third after receiving a 50m penalty, courtesy of a late tackle in a marking contest.
Moments later, the Hawks would reply courtesy of Matthew Bannister, who took a mark low down and duly converted to reduce the margin to ten points, and the Hawks were in the contest. Tyson Lane found himself alone and unattended in the goal square to kick the Tigers fourth as play entered time-on in the opening term. The margin was reduced back to single figures when Mitchell Payne goaled after taking a good mark, but a goal just before quarter time kicked by Tyson Lane, courtesy of a very long kick from Richard Bourne, had South Bunbury 15 points in front at quarter time.
Rain fell during the second term, and the Tigers started to assert their authority, kicking the only three goals of the quarter, with Mitchell
Bain unloading from long range to start the scoring early in the quarter. Blaine Johnson would kick a great goal, running away from the goals, snapping on the run to kick the Tigers seventh. Some resistance from the Hawks saw scoring totally dry up until an opportunistic goal from Ethan Nordahl, who got a boot to ball in the goal square to extend the margin to 32 points at the long break.
A side from a goal from Kieran Yakas at the 10 minute mark of the third term, the home fans had very little to cheer about as the Tigers kicked a further five goals to blow the match wide open.
The final term saw the Tigers kick six further goals, the highlight being a great snap by Tyson Lane. The Hawks did manage three goals for the term, but the contest was well and truly over.
Blaine Johnson and Tyson Lane both kicked five goals, and some quality goals amongst them, while Jay Crossman and Shaun Crane obtained plenty of the football. Tom Shanahan and Matt Bannister were amongst the best for the Hawks, who remain fourth for the moment on the premiership ladder, with Donnybrook, Busselton and Carey Park four points behind, with games in hand. The Hawks will travel to Boyanup in round fourteen to face the Dons in what will be a clash with huge consequences.
Match Centre
South Bunbury 5.5.35 8.6.54 13.9.87 19.10.124
Aug Marg River 3.2.20 3.4.22 4.6.30 7.8.50
Goals: South Bunbury – Blaine Johnson 5, Tyson Lane 5, Ehtan Nordahl 3, Richard Bourne 2, Mitchell Bain 1, Kevin Chitty 1, Shaun Crane 1, Thomas Gallaway 1. Augusta Margaret River – Matthew Bannister 1, Quinn Donaldson 1, Kel Evans 1, Byron George 1, Mitchell Payne 1, Matthew Tilbee 1, Kieran Yakas 1.
Best: South Bunbury – Jay Crossman, Shaun Crane, Rocco Versace, William Pedley, Craig Hutcheson, Finn Baskerville. Augusta Margaret River – Thomas Shanahan, Matthew Bannister, Byron George, Christopher Dendle, Jake Rodgers, Harry Chadwick
Ground: Gloucester Park
Umpires: Damien O’Donoghue, Matthew Stewart, Khye Skoda
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 440
Photos courtesy of Wayne Hislop