Power Control Dragons out east
U18 Power vs Dragons Round Nine - May 26th 2024
By Lenny Roberts
The first away game of the season for the Under 18 Boys team saw them take on the Gippsland Power in Morwell. There were three new debutants for this match, with Bennett Martin, Max Hoult, and Jack Hayter starting in the side’s best 23.
Jake Matthews (who led the disposals for Sandringham with 24) generated the first inside 50 of the game, leading to a free kick to Sam Buck who got the scoring underway with a behind. Powerful midfielder Luke Kennedy returned to action this week after a run in the VFL with the Sandringham Zebras, and was prominent early. Accumulating, tackling, and marking across the ground. He racked up 18 disposals, and one score. Top-ager Ned Maginness also played in the Zebra’s win over Casey on the weekend, collecting 9 disposals, and 2 tackles. Gippsland kicked the first of the day through a throw-in, inside five minutes. A nice buildup from halfback from the home side set up their second goal to give them an early 10-point lead. They won the next centre clearance to give them another shot on goal almost immediately, however, couldn't convert. Sandringham got on the board through a turnover from Gippsland, it was Angus Bowd who received the ball from Phoenix Janover and booted home the major. Jhett Haeata was busy pushing up and down the ground, always being on option out of stoppages. A tough goal from the boundary by a Power forward in the 25th minute gave the home side a two-goal buffer at the end of the first quarter.
Gippsland opened the second term by kicking their fourth of the match inside the first minute. Buck answered by working some magic in the forward pocket to slot his first of the day. Soloing the ruck, Brodie Findlay had a big game, specifically the second term. Giving his midfielders first use, setting up behind play defensively, and just being physical. His full-time stats were 18 disposals (a massive feat for a ruckman), 4 marks, 4 tackles, and 28 hitouts. Owen Bater was solid behind the ball and had a couple of good plays in this term, along with Lachlan Voss, as usual. A strong mark inside forward 50 from Buck, but again another miss. Up the other end, Gippsland kicked home one to give them a little bit of breathing room. And added another immediately out of the centre clearance. A goal on the run from the Power in the 23rd minute saw the lead balloon out to 29 points, before a behind gave the home side a clean five-goal lead heading into the main break.
More of the same to start in the third term, with Gippsland kicking their eighth inside three minutes. Sandringham got their response through Buck who battled hard all day, he finished with 2 goals, and 3 behinds. After one year on the sidelines, Max Hoult lifted the Dragons spirits after kicking a major in the 10th minute, and followed that up by taking a strong mark on the forward flank. He finished with 9 disposals, 3 marks, and two goals. Both Bowd and Janover were lively inside the front half for Sandringham, while Ricky Theodoropoulas was impressive all over the ground. Riely Collins (21 disposals, 6 tackles) snapped home a stunning goal from the pocket to give the Dragons some much-needed momentum. And in the dying stages of the term, Janover got out the back of a forward 50 contest and slotted a goal on the run to cut the margin to just 13 points with one term to play.
Some beautiful run and carry plus entry from Haeata (21 disposals, 7 marks) gave Hoult a mark inside 50, who converted to trim the margin under 10 points. That was followed by a close Buck right foot banana miss. Gippsland owned some territory before countering with a goal of their own. Two intercept marks from Bater kept the game in balance but Gippsland followed that by kicking home a dribbler to push the lead back out to three goals. Bowd received a high free kick inside 50, however couldn’t take advantage to just about seal the game for the home side. A two goal to one fourth quarter saw the Power hang on by 18 points to give Sandringham their second loss on the trot. It was a relatively sound performance from Gippsland, winning the disposal count (306-282), the inside 50’s (46-40), and the tackles (68-59). Round 10 sees the Dragons travel south to Tasmania where they will take on the second-placed Devils on Sunday.
GOALS: Buck 2, Hoult 2, Bowd, Collins, Janover
BEST ON: Voss, Bater, Haeata, Buck, Kennedy, Findlay