By Trevor Jackson
Kalangadoo 21.11 (137) d Kongorong 5.8 (38)
Kalangadoo continued its formidable form in 2022, with a big win over Kongorong in Round 2 of Mid South East football.
The Magpies demolished the Hawks to the tune of 100 points, despite a strong effort around the ground from Kongorong.
In the third term the Hawks took the game up to the visitors, pushing hard out of the backline to move the ball up the ground.
However, they found goals hard to come by, while the Magpies capitalised on the return of gun forward Michael Krieger.
In his first game since a late 2021 injury, Krieger banged on seven goals which, according to coach Kevin Stark, could well have been more.
“He probably spent half of the last quarter on the bench and had a rest in the third quarter, being his first game back,” he said.
“He looks really good and honestly, I think if our ball use had been better it could have been 10 goals or more.
“His leading patterns were really good and he is a hard man to stop.
“A few times he had his man beaten and our delivery let him down more than anything.”
However, Stark paid tribute to the Hawks who he said provided a real challenge, despite the final score.
“I thought Kongorong did pretty well, used the short kick and were willing to try to hold possession,” he said.
“In the second half I think they got a bit more attacking and I thought they played really well.”
Apart from Krieger’s performance, in an ominous sign for the remainder of teams, Stark said while he was pleased with how his side played, there was still room for improvement.
He said there has been a focus on several options up forward, with the Magpies again proving hard to stop in attack.
“We have plenty of options going through the forward line, while the mid-fielders chip in and try to get their goal a game,” Stark said.
“I think everyone is contributing well.”
That was certainly the case on Saturday as Alex Lyon kicked four majors, while Patrick Davies, Lachy Jones, Tye McManus, Ben Mules all kicked two.
Depth is another area where the Magpies currently excel, which was evident on Saturday.
Several players were sidelined due to Covid protocols, which provided the chance for young players to step up.
Stark said he was pleased with how they took the game on.
“The pleasing part is we had three senior colts playing and I thought they did an unbelievable job,” he said.
“Jack O’Connor spent a lot of time down back and his run was amazing.
“A couple of runs he did through the middle of the ground were very aggressive.
“Young Jayk Norman came up for his first senior game and got a chance in the middle.
“He has a really good footy brain and a brilliant kick.
“Brad Male came in and got his chance in the ruck.
“He has a basketball background and his vertical leap is amazing.
“How those three played was probably a highlight for me.
“Our junior talent is really good and I think we are in a really good spot there.”
Again, it has been an ominous start to the season for the Magpies and could continue to improve as the season pans out.
“The pleasing part is I don’t think we are firing on all cylinders yet,” Stark said.
“We haven’t had a chance to get our full squad together – we had about five or six out on the weekend and everyone stepped up and did their job well against a Kongorong side I thought played pretty well.
“The young guys held their own in there against a good Kongorong mid-field.
“It was a good opportunity to give those young guys a chance, a sink or swim moment.
“They definitely swam.”
