Dragons cruise past Geelong at home

 

The first action for the Dragon Boys in just under a month saw them take on the top of table Geelong Falcons at RSEA Park. Even with lots of top-end talent returning, it was going to be a tough challenge.

 

One new debutante with Jack Surkitt getting a run at it.

 

It was the co-captains Brodie Findlay and Levi Ashcroft in the opening centre bounce, with Murphy Reid and Sam Marshall standing alongside them.

 

Kicking towards the southern end in the first quarter.

 

Some repeat entries from the Falcons saw them strike first through a set-shot in the third minute.

 

A very strong grab by Harry Armstrong in the goal square gave the Dragons their first.

 

Nathaniel Sulzberger cut off a kick-in from Geelong and then found Bailey McKenzie immediately. Unfortunately his kick was wayward.

 

Fast-forward a minute later and he found McKenzie again on the lead who went back this time and slotted it.

 

Reid (39 disposals) was everywhere early, gathering clearances and setting up others all over the ground.

 

While Marshall (21 disposals) and Sulzberger (22 disposals) were clinical inside as well.

 

Sandringham got on top in the middle and as a result were generating inside-50’s.

 

A highlight of the first term was a great tackle by debutante Surkitt on the close wing.

 

Archie Ludowyke banged home a goal from close range to give the home side a fourteen-point advantage nearing quarter’s end.

 

Ruck-man Brodie Findlay was strong yet again.

 

Adrian Cole, Luke Trainor, and Sam Linder helped hold down the defence and restrict Geelong to just one goal in the opening term.

 

It took just forty seconds for the Dragons to hit the scoreboard in the second with McKenzie snapping truly from a tight angle on the left.

 

The pressure from both sides was prominent, making it hard for the other team to move it forward.

 

Geelong hit back with one of their own in the ninth minute to keep the margin in reaching distance.

 

Harrison Oliver (19 disposals, five marks) was first-class down back.

 

Some clever forward work by Reid and McKenzie helped set up a major from Benjamin Seers.

 

Both teams played the game on their own terms.

 

A couple of missed opportunities at goal for Sandringham before Jack Dalton saluted from a set-shot to push the margin out to twenty-six points.

 

Armstrong marked on the siren however, just a behind.

 

It was a stalemate opening third term with no goals until the eleventh-minute. The Falcons did however have two gettable set-shots within the time.

 

Luke Kennedy (28 disposals) continued on from his good form in recent games

 

The first of the quarter came via Ludowyke who goaled from a set shot. Before Oliver got forward to kick an impressive major from a tough angle.

 

All of a sudden, the lead was out to thirty-eight points in favour of the home side.

 

Geelong midfielder Xavier Ivisic answered immediately.

 

However, Sandringham were still well in control of the game.

 

Oliver’s silky left-boot found Miles Tyrer inside-fifty to give the Dragons their ninth.

 

Courageous going-back-with-the-flight mark by Linder (23 disposals, seven marks)

 

Dalton (25 disposals, seven marks) worked hard up and down the wing all game.

 

Tyrer took a strong grab off an entry inside fifty before finishing impressively from the pocket on the three-quarter-time siren.

 

It was a forty-five-point difference heading into the final change.

 

An inaccurate final term for the Dragons with them kicking one goal and six behinds.

 

Whereas the visitors managed to snag two majors for themselves.

 

Their first coming in the sixth minute.

 

Luke Trainor was solid, intercepting and using his skills. His day finished with 33 disposals, and ten marks (game-high).

 

Geelong found their fifth as the game was starting to die out.

 

Surkitt found himself open inside the forward half and went back to slot his first goal in Dragons colours.

 

Ashcroft ran rampant in the engine room, amassing a staggering 46 disposals. The Lions father-son prospect also added seven inside-50’s, seven marks, and showcased his elite midfield craft.

 

An array of behinds were scored from the Sandringham forwards before the final siren sounded to end play.

 

The Dragons were too strong, eventually running out 11.16 (82) to 5.9 (39) winners to claim top spot on the ladder back. They won the disposal count by over one-hundred, in what was a dominant display of football.

 

One last game for the home-and-away season against cross-town rivals Oakleigh on Saturday at Trevor Barker Beach Oval.

 

Before the pursuit for the three-peat gets underway in finals.

 

GOALS: Ludowyke, McKenzie, Tyrer 2, Armstrong, Dalton, Oliver, Seers, Surkitt

BEST: Findlay, Sulzberger, Linder, McKenzie, Marshall, Seers