James Murphy
PORT MACDONNELL 11.11 (77) d ROBE 5.4 (34)
Port MacDonnell had a successful road trip to fellow seaside rival Robe on Saturday.
The Demons returned home with a 43-point win in an important win for their hopes to go deep into finals.
They are all but cemented inside the top four now, as they hold third place on nine wins, while Robe sits in fifth place two wins behind with three rounds to play.
One more win will guarantee Port MacDonnell plays finals and has a chance to defend its title.
On Saturday it was an even start to the Round 15 clash, with seven points each scored in the opening term.
The breeze, which favoured the southern end, turned to the Demons’ favour in the second quarter and they managed to take the lead with four goals to the Roosters’ one.
Port MacDonnell coach Simon Merrett said he felt good heading into the long break with a 16-point lead.
“We were about two-and-a-half goals up, but we were really confident we were controlling the game,” he said.
“We were winning the possession battle, maintaining possession and we owned the territory as well.
“Even though it wasn’t a five or six goal lead, we were really confident our game was where it needed to be.”
Another even quarter followed half time, with the margin at 14 points at the final break.
However, a big effort in the fourth quarter saw the guests with a return of 5.5 to Robe’s single goal, which pushed the difference out to 43 by the final siren.
Merrett was pleased with the result, with straight kicking his only critique as the Demons scored 11.11 for the day.
“We are probably not quite sure where our legs are at – with the training conditions down at Port Mac we have been keeping off the oval a bit,” he said.
“So to run over a good side like that on a dry deck, I am really happy with where everything is at.”
Merrett gave credit to several areas of the ground where his Demons excelled.
“We were on top in centre clearances, but our back six were amazing,” he said.
“It was probably the best game they have played together for the whole season.
“They gave up nine scoring shots from roughly 30 inside 50’s, so they were really tight and made it really hard for Robe to score.
“That gave us a lot of confidence going forward.”
An even contribution on the scoreboard had Alex Ridding, Tim Sullivan and Kev Thomson all bag two goals each, while it was Kyall McClean’s efforts in a new position which earned him the best-on-ground award.
“He played a little bit forward on the weekend,” Merrett said.
“There are a few guys we are playing with some different roles, just to find out where everything sits going into finals.
“Kyall was fantastic on the weekend.”
Rhys Timms and Ridding were also solid, while Thomson, Ethan Gladman and Will MacDonald rounded out the best.
For the Roosters it was Samuel Clements who performed best, while Thomas Wachtel was also solid as he played in full back on MacDonald.
Thomas Miller was the only multiple goal scorer with two, while Clements, Jack Sneath and Kaden Woodward all kicked singles.
Looking forward and Robe faces a possibly season-ending fixture this round when they visit ladder leader Kalangadoo, while Port MacDonnell host Tantanoola in a game which should cement its place in finals.
