Chris Yeend
Macedon ended a four-game losing streak with a gritty 26-point win over old foe Woodend/Hesket at the Tony Clarke Reserve on Saturday. It was the Cats' first victory since their pulsating two-point win over Riddell back on June 2 and they had to battle every step of the way against a determined Hawks' line-up that sported an average age of 20 in their playing list.
While the sun beamed across the state, typical overcast and cold conditions greeted both teams on a slightly muddy playing surface as they played off for the prestigious Bill Tunn Cup. The home side has held the award for several seasons and the visitors backed themselves to steal their opposition's thunder in front of a massive crowd.
NEW BLOOD
The Hawks welcomed the addition of first-gamer Geordie Taylor who is another outstanding product of the juniors while the Cats welcomed former Gisborne forward Adam Cusworth for his first game for the club and Under 18 captain Nick Arnold for his first hit-out.
TIGHT OPENING
Both teams hit the ground hard with tremendous tackling in the opening stages of the game. Macedon's Aaron Christiansen goaled from a mark six minutes into the game to start proceedings. Hawk skipper Jessie Sheppard kicked a goal from a brilliant snap to level the game just minutes later and when James Hepburn missed a goal from a set shot at the 12-minute mark, the Hawks were in front by a point. This lead lasted three minutes as Macedon replied with a valuable six-pointer and would go on to kick the last three goals of the quarter. New Cat Adam Cusworth marked 30 metres out from goal and kicked truly with his first kick at the club to extend the lead to 19 points at the opening change. The Cats pressed hard from half-back as they floated extra numbers to fill the space that enabled Mark Strickland to send the ball forward courtesy of some hard running by James Wright, Mark Cox and Tim Dettmann. Despite their dominance, Jamie Stembridge, Matt Sawyer and Max Ambler rallied hard and caused turnovers. If it weren't for erratic ball movement into the forward line due to inexperience from Woodend/Hesket, the game could have played out differently in the early stages.
EVEN STEVENS
The Cats kicked the opening two goals of the second term to the township end of the ground thanks to Cusworth and Wright as they continued to amount the pressure. Wright's goal at the nine-minute mark extended the lead to 31 points and it looked like the game would roll towards a convincing win for the Cats. Jesse Waters just snuck a boot in as the ball dribbled towards the goal post to kick his first and Hepburn goaled to bring the margin back to 19 points at half-time.
HAWKS DOMINATE
Cusworth kicked the opening goal for the Cats to start the second half and Neeson kicked another three minutes later to have the margin out to a game-high 32 points just eight minutes into the quarter. From there, it was all the Hawks as they dominated general play and kept the ball in their forward half for more than 50 percent of the term. Yet, they could manage just three goals with the last going to Geordie Taylor from 35 metres out to bring the margin back to 12 points at three-quarter-time.
EXPERIENCE PREVAILS
Cusworth had a rare hat-trick as he kicked the opening goal of the term for three quarters in a row as the Cats broke the Hawks run and broke away to a 32-point lead midway through the term. James Hepburn kicked the Hawks first goal in 24 minutes of football with his fourth deep into time on as the siren sounded with the Cats 26 points ahead as they celebrated one of their hardest wins of the season. The scoreboard did not reflect how close the game was played. Josh Clough and Callum Dick headlined a list of stars for the Cats while first-gamer Nick Arnold battled it out in an intriguing battle with Hepburn in the backline. He showed that he has what it takes to step up at that level.
RADIO
Tune in to 100.7 Highlands FM this Friday night from 6.30pm for the Football Netball preview show and again on Saturday from 12 noon as the team gets ready to broadcast the big game from Romsey Park as the Redbacks play host to Wallan.
Last Modified on 24/07/2012 18:11