Body:
RESERVES
Coburg Tigers 3.6 6.7 14.10 14.13 (97)
Sandringham 4.4 11.8 14.9 16.13 (109)
Coburg Tigers
Goals: Smith 3, Lagozzino 3, Magee 3, Archibald, Maggiore, Cheep, Edwards, Briggs
Best: Legudi, Maggiore, N.Raines, Carlyle, Bourke, Lagozzino, Edwards, Magee
Sandringham
Goals: Conroy 3, Campbell 3, Johnston 2, Carson 2, Zantuck 2, Lachlan Smith, Nick Smith, Jackson, Molan
Best: Conroy, Hall, Ferraro, Ott, Johnston
Played in great conditions, the second placed Zebras met a Coburg side who were comprehensively beaten by the top side a week earlier. Sandringham had four Melbourne listed players (including rookies) in the side – Nick Smith, Luke Molan, Joel Campbell and Dale Carson. Richmond listed player Kyle Archibald, on the comeback trail from osteitis pubis, played a half, while Daniel Jackson, who was running around on the MCG a week ago and played school footy on Saturday, sat on the pine for the day in a tracksuit as the Tigers fourth interchange player.
It was a pretty tight contest in the first term with either side unable to take a decisive break into quarter time. It was only in the dying stages of the second quarter that Sandringham kicked away to take a 31 point lead into half time. Coburg were their own worst enemy at one stage - a poor switch of play resulted in a pretty easy Sandringham goal just before the siren. Stephen Ott rucked well in the centre, Dale Carson was providing a target for the Zebras, while Joel Campbell and Trent Zantuck had also added first half goals. Sam Lagozzino kicked a brilliant goal for the Tigers in the second term, while Dean Smith had kicked a couple of goals as well.
Coburg came out after half time playing like a different side to the one who finished the first half. A goal to Ryan Edwards within the first minute, an another straight after to James Magee reduced the margin to 19 points. Lagozzino kicked another at the four minute mark and another to James Magee just after brought the Tigers right back into the game. A poor Sandy kick in resulted in another goal to Dean Smith and Coburg had levelled it up – with five goals in ten minutes. Lagozzino in the forward line was giving Andy Treloar a headache and Tigers ruckman Warren Carlyle, on the comeback from suspension, started to get into the game and played a valuable role rotating between ruck and the forward line in the second half. If Ben Marsh is needed to step up at Richmond due to Ottens going down, it would be good to see Carlyle given another opportunity. Troy Legudi and Nick Raines were also valuable players for the Tigers. Jay Cheep did a couple of eye catching things, and his attack on the footy on one occasion and his second and third efforts are a feature of his game that he should show more often. It became an arm wrestle in the latter stages of the third quarter. Toby Conroy goaled for Sandy, then Lagozzino copped a high tackle and free in front of goal to level it up again. Melbourne listed players Nick Smith and Luke Molan goaled for Sandy to give them a 12 point lead, before a Coburg responded on the scoreboard with a set shot goal to Briggs and Magee goaled as well – Coburg ended up one point leaders at ¾ time.
At ¾ time, the Zebras coach Steve Grace told his team to improve their number of blocks in the last quarter. Coburg went into the last quarter with Kyle Archibald finished up for the day, a non-playing Daniel Jackson and an injured Ken Darby, who was stretchered off just prior to ¾ time. It was tight footy for a while during the last quarter, until Molan and Campbell goaled for the Zebras. Coburg had opportunities, a miss by Andrew Maggiore from close range after some fantastic bullocking work to get free was probably the most disappointing for them. In the end, Sandringham won by 12 points. Toby Conroy was named best on ground for the Zebras – another solid performance following on from his game against Box Hill a fortnight ago. To make the finals, Coburg must win its last three games and hope that two of the Bullants, Werribee, Williamstown or North Ballarat do not win another game.
