Greensborough won its third successive home match this season, downing Lower Plenty by 61 points at War Memorial Park.
Small forward Cameron Jordan was the star of the show with five goals as the Boro consolidated their place inside the top five with a 17.15 (117) to 8.8 (56) win.
Lower Plenty were boosted by the inclusion of gun ruckman Pat Flynn who was having a week off from his duties with VFL side Bendigo Gold.
However, Greensborough dominated the first quarter with five unanswered goals, before Lower Plenty pegged one back late in the quarter through Flynn.
Ex-Lower Plenty player Ricky Mullins was causing his former team all sorts of problems, with over 10 possessions and giving Greensborough drive out of the centre. Up forward Tim Bongetti kicked two goals to give the home side a 23-point lead at the first change.
At quarter time Lower Plenty coach Vin Datolli was frustrated by the Bears’ lack of accountability, effort and one on one pressure. Greensborough coach Robert Hyde praised his boys for their hard work, run out of the backline, handball receives (34) and tackles (26). Hyde wanted to put pressure on Lower Plenty by kicking the first goal of the second quarter.
He got his wish with the first goal of the second term, however Lower Plenty kicked the next two and seemed much more focussed, lead by Andrew Phelan, Adam Walker and Flynn. Datolli was swinging the side around with defenders Hugh Kavanagh and Cam Elmore sent forward and both kicked goals.
Greensborough recovered with three more goals, two through Rhys Boyden, which gave it a 30-point lead at half time.
Lower Plenty kicked the first two goals of the third term through Matthew Duckworth and Ben Buller and again looked good in patches. However, Greensborough kicked the next goal, with Bongetti getting a third.
Lower Plenty started attacking again and Duckworth and Buller kicked goals, but Greensborough finished the quarter with a late major to Joshua Grubb, and at the final break it was Greensborough by 21 points.
Bears’ captain Darcy Barden and the Boro’s Josh Callaway were both given yellow cards on the three quarter time siren as tempers flared with the game in the balance.
Christmas then came early for the Boro in the final term, kicking six goals and keeping Lower Plenty goalless. The star up forward was the pint-sized Cameron Jordan who kicked three goals for the quarter as Greensborough ran away with a 10-goal win.
Post-game Hyde was again happy with his team’s hard work and said they had a great first quarter, battled hard in the second and third and were fantastic in the final quarter.
Datolli was clearly disappointed with the slow start, the lack of intensity and the high number of unforced errors during the course of the game. After the game Lower Plenty players stayed on the ground in a huddle for almost 10 minutes being addressed by their senior players.
Final score: Greensborough 17.15 (117) def Lower Plenty 8.8 (56)
