A demolition job from Heidelberg has moved them three games clear on top of the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 ladder after a 100-point victory over Hurstbridge at Ben Frilay Oval.
In what was a highly anticipated encounter between the top two sides of the competition, the Tigers pounced from the opening bounce and kicked five goals in each of the first three terms before a nine-goal final quarter solidified a monstrous 25.14 (164) to 9.10 (64) triumph.
The star of the show was Nathan Honey, who piled on 10 goals in a magical display. His forward craft was on show early, kicking three majors in each of the first and second terms, before a four-goal second half helped him produce his best performance in Heidelberg colours.
Club leading goalkicker Zane Barzen was forced to play second fiddle as a result, and had to settle with five majors while Luke Bunker, Dylan Clarke and Tom Keys were all at their magnificent best in midfield, each winning their fair share of clearances to ensure the ball was always in the visiting side’s attacking half.
The win now extends the Tigers’ record to 9-0 and have now gone unbeaten in 47 of their last 48 matches. Heidelberg also posted their highest score of the season in the victory and have won their past three matches by an average of almost 107 points.
Hurstbridge were no match for the class that the reigning premiers produced despite bringing plenty of intensity and pressure to the contest throughout the first half.
After registering their lowest score of the season, they now slip to third on percentage following back-to-back defeats.
Kye Agosta was the standout for the Bridges with three goals, while also playing a handy role in midfield when required.
Sean McLaren performed admirably in ruck while William Cookson and Liam Middleton also had positive moments in what was a disappointing afternoon for Joel Cordwell’s men.
Honey got things going for the Tigers with his first two majors of the match coming inside the opening seven minutes.
Agosta hit back for the Bridges, with his side producing some strong tackling pressure and an ability to transition from defence to attack.
However, the key difference between the two sides in the opening term was their disposal efficiency. Hurstbridge were not clean by foot while the away side were able to hit targets with ease around the ground.
It opened the door for Barzen to kick two goals in a four-minute period before Honey’s third major helped Heidelberg lead by 22 points at quarter time.
Vin Dattoli’s side maintained the rage early in the second with Solomon McKay finding the big sticks inside the first minute of the term.
Honey’s dominance inside 50 then continued, with another two quick goals seeing him have five majors to his name by the six-minute mark of the second quarter, ballooning his side’s advantage out to 43 points as a result.
The work of Bunker, Clarke and Keys at stoppages was making life difficult for Hurstbridge, however the hosts soon ended a five-goal run by the Tigers as Agosta booted his second.
Heidelberg continued to create opportunities but unlike the opening term, they were unable to capitalise, kicking four straight behinds, which opened the door for the Bridges, who kicked the next three goals unanswered to suddenly return the margin to its quarter time total of 22 points.
Joel Kleiman settled things for the Tigers before Luke De Goldi converted his set shot to keep Hurstbridge in the hunt.
On the stroke of half time however, Honey produced arguably his best goal of the game, as he slotted a difficult set shot on the siren to secure his sixth major.
The Tigers’ 29-point half time lead was reduced to 23 inside the first minute of the third quarter thanks to a goal from Harry O’Brien, before the visitors took control of the remainder of the afternoon.
They would kick the next five goals of the third quarter, which included Honey’s seventh, and two majors in a minute from Jordan Smith to see the margin reach 52 points by the final change.
Hurstbridge only managed three less scoring shots than their opponents for the term but could muster just 1.4 and as the last quarter got underway, they were unable to rise to the next level despite their best efforts.
Heidelberg would end the afternoon with a 9.3 final quarter, equalling their record score for a term in 2024.
The highlights included Daniel O’Dwyer kicking his third major of the season on the defender’s 25th birthday, along with Honey, who managed another three-goal quarter to reach the magical figure 10 and cap off an excellent afternoon for him and his side.
