From The Age
Reported by Carley Jellet

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WILLIAMSTOWN has handed North Ballarat its first defeat of the season, beating the Roosters by 17 points in a top-of-the-table clash at Burbank Oval yesterday.

As expected from the two top sides, the match was a tight contest from the first bounce.

Seagulls coach Bradley Gotch said he was happy to beat the undefeated Roosters but lamented his side's missed opportunities in front of goal: "In the third quarter we kicked three (goals and) nine (points and), we hit the post three times," he said. "It would have been nice … to put a bigger gap in it at three-quarter-time. To North Ballarat's credit, they kept coming at us all day. I thought they played pretty good footy."

Williamstown's big forwards were prominent with Dean Galea, Wayde Skipper, Jarrad Grant and Callan Ward kicking 11 goals between them. Guy O'Keefe was one of the Seagulls' best with three goals.

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ADEM Yze staked his claim for a quick-fire return to the Melbourne side in yesterday's VFL match between Sandringham Zebras and the Bendigo Bombers at the Trevor Barker Oval.

Sandringham coach Andy Lovell praised Yze's contribution of 16 kicks, 12 handballs, two marks and two goals working from a wing and through the midfield in the 70-point win.

"Adem has been really good in the last two games," Lovell said.

"He has been back with us a month and his attitude has been really outstanding. Yesterday he sacrificed his game for the team and was a real team leader."

Sandringham's 10-goal first quarter set it up for a 24.15 (159) to 13.11 (89) victory.

"Our first quarter was really strong," Lovell said. "We played really good disciplined football and we moved the ball quickly."

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SANDRINGHAM mastered the breeze and the Bendigo Bombers yesterday to register a 70-point victory at Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 24.15 (159) to 13.11 (89).

The massive win is the second thumping the Zebras have dished out in as many weeks and leaves the Bombers with only one win from five matches.

A strong bay breeze played havoc, making it difficult for both sides to score at the northern end of the ground. Sandringham managed only four goals at that end but kicked 20 at the other end.

Zebras coach Andy Lovell was pleased with the club's performance. "Last week I thought we played really well for two quarters, (today) we played really well for three," he said yesterday. "We were really team-focused and everyone played their part. In the second quarter we didn't play the conditions too well.

After being dropped from the seniors last round and rested from the VFL, Gehrig, 32, played his first game for Casey.

He had seven kicks, two marks and five handballs for the day, and was benched twice, with his sole shot on goal coming from a chase and tackle. Gehrig was rewarded with a free for the effort.

He played on, wheeled on to his left foot but missed.

Gehrig had three goal assists, but was well held by Devils full-back Brennan Savage.

Casey will welcome back captain Kyle Matthews from a knee injury, and St Kilda spearhead Fraser Gehrig, who was named at full-forward.

The Scorpions flew into Hobart last night and will return after today's match.

"It is a big challenge for us," Scorpions coach Greg Hutchison said yesterday.

"We are coming off a five-day break and two sets of travel. It is a difficult task."

The Scorpions, third on the ladder after three consecutive wins, face a Tasmania side looking to continue its perfect record at home this season.

From the Mecury
Reported by James Bresnehan

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ST KILDA'S man-mountain Fraser Gehrig is expected to spearhead the Casey Scorpions' attack against the Tasmanian Devils in their VFL Anzac Day clash at Bellerive.

The 2004 and 2005 Coleman Medallist and the last AFL player to kick 100 goals in a season was dropped from last week's St Kilda team that defeated Essendon after kicking just seven goals in three games.

Gehrig was named in the St Kilda-aligned Scorpions side that takes on the Devils today after his name did not appear in the Saints' line-up to play Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium tomorrow night.

Scorpions coach Greg Hutchison said yesterday Gehrig was in the mix to play in Hobart.

"We are waiting for St Kilda to decide their needs for this weekend, and then we'll know more about which players are available to us," Hutchison said before Gehrig was named in the Scorpions forward line.