By Trevor Jackson
Hatherleigh 16.13 (109) d Robe 10.5 (65)
All eyes were on Robe on Saturday as the Roosters hosted Hatherleigh in Round 3 of Mid South East football.
Players and spectators were treated to the usual Anzac Day formalities, with Light Horsemen on the ground, the national anthems of Australia and New Zealand performed, along with the Ode and the last post.
Unfortunately for the home side, the Eagles claimed a big win, to remain with a tentative grip on the top position on the ladder.
While Hatherleigh held a comfortable lead at each break, the Roosters certainly pushed hard but could not close the margin.
The Eagles led by20 points at the first break, then extended that each quarter.
By the final break the margin had blown out to 41 points and Hatherleigh was home.
Jake Wight was again impressive in front of goals with five majors to his name, while coach Jake Dowdy kicked four, Louis Brown three and Patrick Chay two.
Dowdy suggested it was a ripper result, after previously struggling to gain the points up at Robe.
Along with the Anzac theme of the day, there was certainly no shortage of pressure.
“It was a big day, all about mateship, looking after each other and backing each other up,” Dowdy said.
“That is really how we want to play our footy this year and I think we have been doing that, so it suits our game style.”
That mateship was called upon early in the contest, with the Rosstes standing up well on their home deck in the opening half.
Dowdy said he addressed the players at the long break reinforce the game plan and it all went forward from there.
“I just said to keep plugging away at it,” he said.
“We know Robe is a good team and are always pretty physical, they always hang in there and we knew they would throw a bit back at us.
“I just said to keep playing our game style and it would break open for us.
“I think it did in the end.
“They still put up a fight so it was a good four quarters of football.”
Dowdy said Telfer was a worthy recipient of the Anzac medal for best on ground, with his work off the half back impressive, along with many others.
“Jed Telfer was unreal off half back,” he said.
“I don’t know what it is about him but he just doesn’t get tackled.
“He is really strong in the hips and core.
“Jase Faulkner, one of the older fellows in the team, had a good day in the middle.
“He put his head over the footy and won it out for us.
“Darcy Bateman was pretty good at half forward, taking good contested marks.
“I just thought the whole team played well.”
Dowdy said the rivalry between the two sides was building well, with the team approach more important than ever.
“We know our best football can be pretty handy but on the weekend the way we played as a team was the most impressive part,” he said.
“We had a lot of forward entries and there was no selfishness.
“Everyone was looking for their team mates and all the team oriented stuff is coming together, which is why we are where we are at.”
