On paper, Vic Metro was filled with individual champions. On Sunday, they played like a champion team.
The Metro side, captained by Heidelberg’s Jason Kennedy and containing Matthew Dennis (Bundoora), Jesse Donaldson (Montmorency), Lucas Hobbs (Macleod) and Nick Riddle (Greensborough), romped to an 84-point victory over Queensland.
Metro raced to a 28-point lead at quarter time before extending its lead at every change in a 17.22 (124) to 6.4 (40) win at the Moreton Bay Sports Complex, north of Brisbane.
The task was never going to be easy for Queensland, as the Victorian’s came out and showed how deep their talent pool runs.
Queensland won the toss and kicked with the wind, knowing they needed to start well against the big V.
No stranger to big games, it was former Brisbane Lions premiership player Robbie Copeland that got the scoring underway for Queensland, and was he pumped up.
Vic Metro’s Kwame McHarg showed his footy smarts in his first set shot for goal, with a low bullet from 45, not allowing the wind to be a factor, getting the Victorians on the board.
It was a hot footy early, but once the dust settled, Victoria seemed to have a lot more time and space than Queensland.
They weren’t rushed, they used the footy well, and pulled the trigger quickly when required. It was good footy.
Eastern Football League forward Leigh Williams bobbed up to kick his first two of seven goals to give Vic Metro a 28-point advantage at the first break.
The breeze may have died down a little bit in the second, but Victoria’s attack didn’t.
Williams was proving a handful for Chris Ryan in defence, kicking another two for the quarter, and looking unstoppable.
Spackman and Buntain were under constant fire, but were standing up. They were rarely beaten one and one and were using the footy well on the way out.
Victoria continued to kick away, up by 50 at the half.
Victoria’s pressure went up another notch in the third. Essendon District Football League pair Fort Caruso and Ash Arrowsmith had it on a string, and Queensland couldn’t get any run going.
At three quarter time, it was a 69-point ball game.
To its credit, Queensland didn’t throw in the towel, and showed some real fight to start the last.
At the half waypoint, a goal to Nelis, who fought hard all day, was the only goal of the quarter.
Victoria was doing itself no favours, kicking nine behinds before, who else, but Williams broke the deadlock.
The visitors cruised home to an 84-point victory, in a performance everyone in the AFL heartland would be happy with.
Vic Metro 6.4, 11.9, 15.11, 17.22 (124)
Queensland 2.0, 4.0, 5.2, 6.4 (40)
GOALS: L. Williams 7, K. McHarg 3, T. Jenkins 2, A. Panayi 1, T. Small 1, W. Skipper 1, R. Jordon 1, S. Allan 1
BEST: L. Williams, F. Caruso, A. Arrowsmith, R. Jordon, M. Aver, T. Small
