PENINSULA LEAGUE
THE Frankston YCW freight train continued to steamroll anything in its path on Saturday at Frankston Park, belting Mornington by 89 points in the Peninsula Division qualifying final.
After resting up to eight players last week in the final home and away game of the season, the Stonecats came out firing from the first bounce on Saturday and eventually humiliated the team that almost snatched a premiership from them at the same venue last year.
I have been saying it for months and have been accused of being disrespectful to the other teams in the competition, however I reiterate again, this is the most powerful side that I have seen on the peninsula in more than a decade.
It’s going to take a special performance from a very good footy team to prevent YCW from tasting the ultimate success.
The Stonecats do not have a weak link. They have bigger, stronger bodies than any other team, they have a wonderful blend of experience and young, raw, talent and they have outside midfielders who are well over 6.3’.
Frankston YCW booted 10 goals in the opening half and 13 in the second. More impressively though was the fact that they restricted the opposition to just nine goals for the match.
The 23.13 (151) to 9.8 (62) final score was nothing more than embarrassing for Mornington.
The Dogs are supposed to be among the top three teams in the competition. They certainly didn’t play like they were.
Mornington kicked the first goal of the match and led but the moment of excitement was short lived for Doggies’ supporters.
Mornington was that disappointed in the efforts of their team that they didn’t even register their goal kickers or best players after the game. From a club perspective, that was a poor reflection of the leadership of the club.
The Frankston YCW team manager Kevin Mulvogue on the other hand got cramps in his fingers given the even spread of performances from his team.
Anthony Bruhn is at home at Frankston Park and he booted seven goals for the winners on Saturday, while David Bodley and Lew Roberts booted three each. A further seven players contributed on the scoreboard.
Craig Nankervis is one of the most unheralded players in the competition, however, rarely does he put in a bad game and he always gives his coach Scott Mathers everything he has in the tank.
Jessie Coghlan and Ryan Santon were dominant and Ash Eames succeeded in his efforts to make a point that he believed he was the best big man in the competition.
The Stonecats will go into this Saturday’s preliminary final against Mt Eliza full of confidence after belting the Redlegs the last time they played.
Edithvale-Aspendale led all day in the elimination final to knock Pines out of the 2015 season.
The Eagles went into the game without key players in Aaron Pawel in the ruck and Matt Kremmer up forward.
However, despite the structural effects, Mick Meehan booted four goals and Jarrod Garth three for the Eagles while Todd Woodbridge dominated on the wing.
Woodbridge had three opponents for the afternoon and was given enormous body pressure from the persistent Luke Holdcroft, however, withstood the attention and racked-up the possessions.
Brett O’Hanlon helped Edithvale set up the victory in the third quarter after leading by just four points at three quarter time.
With the aid of the breeze, the Eagles booted 4.9 to 3.1 in the third quarter to set-up a 24 point lead.
Pines had 19 inside 50m entries in the last quarter and got within 13 points, however Darcy Warke booted his third goal on the siren to hand the Eagles a 14.12 (96) to 10.17 (77) victory.
Guy Hendry booted five goals for the Pythons, while Aaron Edwards worked tirelessly at both ends of the ground. Skipper Beau Hendry was also very good for the red and green in the back half.
The Eagles will play Mornington in the First Semi Final next week.
First published in the Mornington News – 8 September 2015
