West Preston-Lakeside kicked away late in the final quarter to overcome Heidelberg in a close fought contest at Warringal Park in Round 5 of Meadows Greyhounds Division 1.
Without star Ahmed Saad, Matthew Vincitorio kicked four goals in two five-minute bursts. Firstly, to regain parity before half time, and then to provide a vital lead at three quarter time in the 12.6 (78) to 9.6 (60) triumph.
Dual reigning premiers, such as West Preston-Lakeside, are unlikely to lose much sleep before Round 5 encounters, however teams don’t win back-to-back grand finals without a commitment to perfection in almost all aspects.
Therefore, it would not have been a surprise if it rankled Roosters’ head coach Rob Maiorana that, despite climbing the summit the last two seasons, they have been unable to defeat the Tigers during their four regular season meetings.
As such, an intriguing matchup between two early front runners contained more than the crucial four points as a prize, with both sides keen to continue, in the case of the Tigers, or neutralise, from the perspective of the Roosters, any mind game advantage should they meet in the finals.
Following the first bounce, West Preston-Lakeside appeared most eager to make a statement early and dominated possession and territory, relentlessly bottling the ball inside their forward half.
Indeed, Heidelberg’s first controlled possession in their attacking half came in the 14th minute, and that was mostly due to receiving a down the field free kick.
The Roosters half back line was relentless in turning anything resembling a Tigers attack into a rebound into their own forward line – often through impressive run and carry.
With the Roosters notching double figure inside 50s in almost as many minutes, heroics were required from the Tigers backline to repel the onslaught. Heidelberg’s last line of defence resembled sailors on a leaky ship calmly bailing out water, and, in this case, their midfield, to keep the Tigers in the contest.
It seemed a minor miracle that Heidelberg survived until the break only 13 points behind, 0.1 (1) to 2.2 (14), given West Preston-Lakeside’s more than 20 inside 50m entries compared to four.
As such, Tigers coach Danny Nolan, focused his quarter time message on helping out his besieged backline, asking his midfield to hit their targets and create much more pressure around the ground.
Heidelberg responded accordingly early in the second quarter, with Samuel Wright and Matthew McInerney each goaling within five minutes of the resumption.
When Wright kicked another and late call up Alex Bakos roved and snapped truly shortly after, it was due reward for Heidelberg’s success at clearing the ball from stoppages.
West Preston-Lakeside steadied though, and regained parity around the ground, often through the athleticism of their ruckman Matthew Harman, who was important all day.
For the Tigers, Sam Gilmore, Connor McDonald and Joshua Daniel all competed well in the ruck and stoppages in their various assigned areas, however Harman was regularly an outlet on the wing for his backmen, and often a backstop behind the play to bottle the ball in the Rooster attacking 50.
With the help of Harman and an industrious Michael Ercolano, Vincitorio struck twice late in the second quarter to steady the Roosters and take them to the main break one-point ahead – 4.3 (27) to 4.2 (26).
Similarly, Vincitorio also closed out the third quarter with two late goals to shift the game towards the Roosters, despite the quarter being reasonably even from a possession perspective.
Ben Nikolovski goaled earlier for the Tigers, to be answered shortly after through a smart rove and goal by Kobe Brown for the Roosters.
Tom Schnerring, who was solid all game for Heidelberg, marked and goaled to put the Tigers back in front, only for Jackson Barling to draw West Preston-Lakeside level with a neat mark and snap from the goal square.
Vincitorio’s late intervention meant that the Roosters took at 10-point lead into the final break, 8.5 (53) to 6.5 (43).
Roosters coach Rob Maiorana, during the three-quarter time break, asked his team to take a defense-first mentality into the final quarter. He also urged a more direct approach entering their forward 50, having been frustrated when Heidelberg easily blunted attacks which were chipped into the pockets.
Maiorana also reminded his team that most of their goals had come from pressure, and a contested ball game was a style which they enjoyed.
Whilst Ercolano willed the team forward, and goaled himself for the Roosters, Heidelberg did hit back quickly through Bakos and Matthew Cecchin, who snapped truly, from distance, knowing that a Roosters defender was closing in, paying the price to pull the Tigers within five points.
For the first time during the match, West Preston-Lakeside appeared to feel the pressure. Fumbles crept into the game, and kicks were hurried, resulting in the Tigers being able to pick off possession.
A steadier was required for the Roosters and Matthew Harman duly delivered, after winning a free kick and goaling after a 50m penalty.
Josh Minogue pulled one back for the Tigers, but Luke Lirosi gave the Roosters some valuable breathing space with 10 minutes to go, making the margin 11 points in favour of West Preston-Lakeside.
Harman was again crucial in the clincher for the Roosters, as he collected possession after a spoiled marking attempt and snapped to the hotspot where Sanipepa Egan put the game beyond doubt.
A final 18-point margin didn’t reflect how tight the contest was for most of the day between the two finals aspirants, but a Roosters victory was deserved.
And perfectionist Rob Mairoara must feel that an itch has been scratched after defeating the Tigers in the regular season for the first time since April 1, 2017.
Final score: Heidelberg 9.6 (60) def by West Preston-Lakeside 12.6 (78)
HEIDELBERG
Goal Kickers: A. Bakos 2, J. Minogue 2, S. Wright 2, T. Schnerring, B. Nikolovski, M. Cecchin
Best Players: T. Schnerring, D. O”Dwyer, H. Maher, J. Sutterby, J. Kane, J. Minogue
WEST PRESTON-LAKESIDE
Goal Kickers: M. Vincitorio 4, K. Brown 2, L. Lirosi 2, M. Ercolano, M. Harman, J. Barling, S. Egan, C. McCabe
Best Players: N. Robortella, M. Ercolano, D. Costanzo, J. McDonald, M. Vincitorio, J. Clarke
