Whittlesea moved within one win of clinching a double chance in the A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2 finals after thrashing the Fitzroy Stars in Round 14.
The Eagles were dominant from the outset in the 17.20 (122) to 4.9 (33) triumph at the Whittlesea Showgrounds.
The sixth-consecutive win improved Whittlesea’s record to 10-3 and kept it in second spot on the ladder – equal on points with first-placed Banyule, although the Bears have played one less game.
The Eagles now sit two wins and percentage clear of Thomastown and Eltham, meaning they may need to win just one of their final three games after next week’s bye to clinch a top-two finish.
The heavy defeat all but ended the Fitzroy Stars’ finals hopes. It was the club’s third defeat in succession and they now languish in sixth spot with just four wins and a draw.
Mitch Andrews continued his mid-season purple patch and was best afield in his side’s 89-point win, which made amends for their 31-point defeat to the Stars in Round 6. The 20-year-old had the ball on a string and kicked a goal in each of the first three quarters.
Paul Higgins also found plenty of the ball and was a great link man between defence and attack, while Zach Molloy and Josh Eid were influential throughout the day.
Whittlesea’s tall forwards were too much to handle for an under-sized Fitzroy defence and benefitted from plenty of supply from the midfield.
Sam Indian marked his return to the senior side with five majors. It was the 18-year-old’s best performance since joining the Eagles from South Morang, with his set shot kicking a highlight.
Clancy Bland took several strong marks and finished with two goals, while Nick Pupillo always looked lively despite finishing with only one goal.
Jake Firebrace was a positive for the Stars on a difficult afternoon. The speedster provided plenty of drive off half back, however his side struggled to find avenues to kick to across half forward.
Carl Groth was industrious through the midfield, while Allan Norris and Hedley Smith tried hard across four quarters.
In what had loomed a danger game for Whittlesea against a side looking to keep its finals hopes alive, the Eagles got off to a flyer and set up the victory in the opening quarter.
Four unanswered goals in the first term saw the home side race to a 28-point lead at the first break.
Fitzroy Stars had a better start to the second quarter and controlled the opening nine minutes. However, for all their good work they managed just one goal, which came courtesy of playing-coach Hayden Heta.
Indian kicked his first against the run of play to restore Whittlesea’s 28-point buffer and the home side went on to dominate the next 20 minutes – piling on five goals to one to take a 52-point lead into the main change.
A triple-digit win looked on the cards early in the third term when Whittlesea kicked the first four goals of the quarter, before goals to Heta and Groth stemmed the damage to an extent for the Stars.
Ahead by 78 points at the last change, Whittlesea missed the opportunity to add even further to its percentage with wayward kicking in the last term. The Eagles booted 1.9 in the final quarter, with the major coming courtesy of Indian.
Whittlesea has a bye in Round 15, before finishing the season with matches against Banyule, Thomastown and Watsonia.
Fitzroy travels to Banyule next week, before rounding out the season with matches against each of the competition’s bottom three sides.
Final score: Whittlesea 17.20 (122) def Fitzroy Stars 4.9 (33)
WHITTLESEA
Goal Kickers: S. Indian 5, M. Andrews 3, C. Bland 2, S. McAuliffe 2, X. Dimasi, J. Murphy, P. Higgins, C. Taplin, N. Pupillo
Best Players: M. Andrews, S. Indian , Z. Molloy, C. Bland, P. Higgins, J. Eid
FITZROY STARS
Goal Kickers: H. Heta 2, C. Groth, R. Lovegrove-Hudson
Best Players: C. Groth, A. Norris, J. Firebrace, C. Hall, D. Thorpe-Morgan, H. Smith
