From Ballarat Courier
Reported by Melanie Whelan
Full Story Click Here
WHEN the second quarter started, it looked like North Ballarat Roosters were not sure what had hit them.
Play was competive to quarter-time – Box Hill had an 11-point edge, the Roosters were meeting their targets and at the break Roosters’ coach Gerard FitzGerald was calling for fine-tuning from his players.
Then, bam.
Box Hill seized control of the Victorian Football League clash in an eight-goal to two second term and refused to yield while building an 81-point win on Saturday afternoon.
The Selkirk Roosters went into damage control, sending an extra man down back and moving forwards into the midfield, but by half-time an 11-point deficit had billowed out to 51 points.
FitzGerald was left shocked by the outcome and how the match unravelled at Box Hill City Oval.
“Our structures and tactics did not change, except to minimise the damage ... and we were in serious trouble at half-time,” FitzGerald said.
“One problem we’ve got with this current group of players is that when we’re not playing well, we lose control.”
Post-match analysis has shown the Roosters used the ball 20 per cent less effectively than the Hawks in the second quarter.
The Hawks pummelled the Roosters on the rebound.
Hawthorn-listed tall Jack Gunston headlined the Hawks’ blitz with seven goals.
Three of Gunston’s majors were booted in the second quarter, including two goals inside the first five minutes from clever body work in the goal square. He also booted the final goal to seal the match.
Hawthorn rookie Amos Frank was lively up forward, booting three goals while former Roosters premiership player Daniel Pratt, now the Box Hill skipper, also had three majors.
As hard as the Roosters’ tried, the Hawks’ margin proved too hard to reel in.
The third quarter was more even with the Hawks kicking 3.2 to the Roosters’ 2.2 with Roosters’ first-gamer Tom Curran booted the term’s opening goal.
But the Hawks surged away again in the fourth, with five goals to one.
They punished the Roosters’ inefficiency.
Onballer Liam Anthony, dropped from North Melbourne this week, was the top possession-getter with 33 touches and worked hard for the Roosters while fellow Kangaroo Cruize Garlett had 31 disposals.
The classy pair also impressed in pursuit with a combined 12 tackles and 21 contested possessions.
Possessions were evenly spread across the Hawks, who dominated across all lines.
Former North Ballarat Rebel Kyle Cheney, who is on the Hawthorn list, was named best on ground for his relentless work in defence where he pulled in 12 marks.
Lachie George was the sole multiple goal-kicker for the Roosters with two goals.
The Roosters enter the competition break languishing on two wins and six losses from eight matches to start the season.
WHAT THE STATS SAY
POSSESSIONS
- Box Hill 391
- North Ballarat 357
LIAM ANTHONY 33
- 16 kicks, 17 handballs
CRUIZE GARLETT 31
- 14 kicks, 17 handballs
CAM RICHARDSON 27
- 14 kicks, 13 handballs
AARON MULLETT 23
- 15 kicks, 8 handballs
NICK COUCH 23
- 13 kicks, 10 handballs
HIT OUTS
-Box Hill 59 (McCauley 35)
- North Ballarat 31 (Mabon 22)
TACKLES
- Box Hill 45
- North Ballarat 75 (Towers 9, Campbell 8, Anthony 7)
MARKS
- Box Hill 121
- North Ballarat 80 (Searl 9, Anthony 9)
MARKS INSIDE 50M
- Box Hill 19
- North Ballarat 9
HANDBALLS
- Box Hill 127
- North Ballarat 161
