Roos leap ahead over Bulldogs

East V West Gambier Football & Netball TBW Newsgroup
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: West Gambier's Josh Schapel reaches over the top in a marking contest with East Gambier's Riley Janeway during the Roos big win on Saturday at McDonald Park. Picture: FRANK MONGER

East V West Gambier Football & Netball TBW Newsgroup
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: West Gambier’s Josh Schapel reaches over the top in a marking contest with East Gambier’s Riley Janeway during the Roos big win on Saturday at McDonald Park. Picture: FRANK MONGER

AN impressive running game provided West Gambier with its fifth win of the 2019 Western Border football season on Saturday.

The Roos easily accounted for East Gambier at McDonald Park in front of a big crowd in the match of the round.

Apart from an even first term, West was simply too strong in all areas of the ground.

The running game of Lawry Bradley-Brown was highlighted by the control of playing coach Brad Wilson and impressive efforts from the likes of Jordan Zeitz, Ben Papps and the defensive general Steve Wenman.

In fact, most Roos contributed to the result right around the ground, with no real passengers on the day.

In the early minutes of the contest it appeared spectators were in for a treat.

Neither side could create any kind of lead, despite Tom Holmes finding the first major of the day for the Roos.

East then locked the ball in their forward 50 and looked dangerous, with Robert Brewster claiming a mark at centre half forward, which eventually found playing coach Matt Willson, who split the middle of the goals on the run.

Brewster was soon in on the action again, this time finding Mark Rumbelow for a set shot and goal.

When West threatened, Frazer Scanlon drove the ball back down the wing to Giancarlo Cooper, who threaded it in to Jack Dawe for another major and the Bulldogs looked on song.

However, the Roos soon regathered and looked to close the margin.

A couple of missed shots cost them early, but late in the term Papps drifted a long shot home on the breeze and the difference was just three points at the first break.

It had developed into a defensive stoush, with the back six at each end of the ground holding up under the pressure.

That would continue after the first break, but West found something extra to begin to run away with the game.

Dawe did find the first goal of the term for East, but Papps answered with two more to claim the lead and the Roos bounded on from there.

West seemed to take it up to another level, with Zeitz having a real impact on the game, with plenty of possessions to push forward.

Bradley-Brown racked up touches at his usual rate and when Garrett Ha goaled late in the term it appeared the flood gates had opened.

The Roos led by 30 points at the long break and the Bulldogs had plenty to do to remain in the contest.

Jett Attard put paid to any hope of that early in the third quarter, with two goals in quick succession and the Bulldogs were all-but buried.

Both sides continued to pepper their respective forward 50 zones, but only West could break through to make an impact.

By the final stanza the lead was 36 points, but the Bulldogs are renowned for their late onslaughts.

However, the Roos still had all the run and used that well.

They provided no space for the Bulldogs to work, with the likes of Levi Morton adding to the pressure down back.

In the end the Roos ran out emphatic 41-point victors.

Papps finished the day with four goals, Attard with three and Josh Schapel two.

Wilson said it was a good day for his side, with a solid second term which set the game up.

He said it was the first four-quarter effort from the side this season.

“Across the board it was the best we have been as a unit,” he said.

“It is a new mix, but we had some winners across the ground.

“We are probably still trying to find the mix up forward as well, but our mids ran out the whole game, kept the ball going in there and gave us the score we needed.”

After an even first quarter, Wilson said he focused on the defensive effort to slow the Bulldogs down, which appeared to work well.

The result was more opportunity up forward for the Roos, which they utilised well in the second term.

“It was tight early and they kicked three in a row on us,” Wilson said.

“We had a chat at quarter time to try to get back on track, then a good second quarter set us up for the rest of the day.

“East are pretty potent up forward at times and a lot of their smalls have been kicking goals.

“We did focus on trying to dry them up.”

Much of that came from the defensive efforts of the likes of Wenman and Morton, while Wilson himself, along with Bradley-Brown, Tom Holmes and Zeitz moved the ball well back up the ground.

Kyle Giddings played a tagging role on Giancarlo Cooper to keep the small forward quiet, which worked a treat, while the likes of Kevin Thomson were unable to have a real impact.

“Bradley-Brown and Michael Minuzzo did a good job,” Wilson said.

“Ben Papps is in a good place – he moved down here, got some employment and has found his role up forward.

“Levi has put in the work and his form is starting to show, but we have a lot of guys in that mould.

“Jordy Coombe has played some good footy and stepped up when the heat has been on.

“It is a good sign.

“The last few years we have been a bit skinny on depth and to get that full performance is a hard thing.

“When you do, it does show through.”