GREENSBOROUGH made a triumphant return to the winners’ list after emphatically defeating Northcote Park by 38 points on ANZAC Day.
The 14.8 (92) to 7.12 (54) win at War Memorial Park ensured the Boro retained the Neale ‘Cowboy’ Carroll Cup, following its fourth victory in succession over the Cougars.
The Boro were gallantly led by skipper Matthew Hyde, who was a composed figure in defence, while ruckman Michael Hooper was invaluable in providing the Boro midfield with the first possession of the ball.
The game began in scrappy fashion with both teams relenting possession with sloppy turnovers.
Will Debruin had the first two chances at goal but unfortunately for the Cougars he was only able to score two behinds.
It took 10 minutes for the opening goal of the game to arrive, with Boro’s Joshua Grubb kicking the first major. Within a minute the Boro added a second goal, thanks to an effort from the pocket by Liam Bowkett.
The Boro then added a further three goals before the Cougars registered their first major of the day, when Luke Svarc kicked a brilliant goal from the boundary on the arc.
With the rain starting to tumble down and trailing by four goals at the first change of ends, Northcote Park needed a fast start if they were to have a chance in the game.
The Cougars hopes for a revival were boosted when Koden Colman kicked his first for the afternoon.
The momentum of the game began to favour the Cougars as they started to gain first possession of the ball. The Cougars had three consecutive chances to reduce the margin but could only add three behinds to their score.
Greensborough’s defence was pivotal in ensuring its side held the ascendency in the game. Hyde, Daniel McLinden and Brent Ryan commanded the aerial threat of the Cougars forwards and were able to intercept many of the Cougars attacking plays.
By the end of the quarter the Boro held a handy 18 point lead, which could have been far less had the Cougars kicked accurately.
The half time interval allowed both sets of players to warm up after a freezing first half.
The third term saw Greensborough return to the form that resulted in it becoming last year’s Division 1 premier.
The Boro kicked five straight goals in the quarter, while the Cougars could only manage two behinds.
The home side’s goals came from Rhys Boyden, Andrew Stellas, Joshua Grubb and Tristan Stead, who kicked two consecutive goals to increase the Boro lead to 46 points, while the highlight of the quarter was a specky from full back Daniel McLinden.
With its chance of victory all but over, Northcote Park player-coach Harmit Singh would have urged his side to run out the game and gain some confidence heading into its next week clash with Montmorency.
The Cougars were the better side in the final quarter, outscoring Greensborough 3.5 to 2.3.
Thomas Walliss was impressive for the Cougars in the final term, kicking a goal and setting up chances for his teammates.
However, it was Greensborough who celebrated as the final siren sounded with a convincing all round performance.
Whether it was the leadership of Matt Hyde in defence, the around the ground effort of big man Michael Hooper or the forward threats of Rhys Boyden and Tristan Stead, the Boro had match winners all around the ground and will be confident heading into this week’s match against the winless North Heidelberg.
Final score: Greensborough 14.8 (92) def Northcote Park 7.12 (54)
