By Nick Clark (Mercury)
THE Devils crashed their way into the VFL top eight yesterday with a powerful second-half performance to beat Geelong by 37 points at Skilled Stadium.
Led by brilliant on-baller Ian Callinan, the Devils won 19.10 (124) to 13.9 (87) in front of a small crowd on a cool, windy day.
Their victory moved them into seventh spot on the ladder - the first time they have been in the top eight all season.
The Devils' fourth win in a row was workmanlike rather than brilliant, but showed some good signs as the team goes into a bye before its next game against Sandringham in a fortnight.
Coach Mathew Armstrong said persistence was the key to the win.
"We didn't play overly well,'' he said. "A few of the boys looked a little bit flat -- we have had a big three or four weeks.
"But they were fantastic to get themselves up and going in the second half, and obviously our fitness counted because we ran away with the game at the end.''
The Devils kicked into a stiff breeze in the first term and held their own for the first 20 minutes until Geelong cleared away to a 16-point lead at quarter-time.
Despite having the breeze in the second term, the Devils struggled to make an impression early and Geelong opened up a 22-point lead.
When full-forward Justin Plapp began taking the first of his 16 marks for the game, he gave the Devils a focal point.
Then Callinan began to impose himself, taking the ball out of the centre and dominating around the ground. By half-time he had accumulated 21 possessions.
In the second quarter the Devils had grafted their way back into the game, going in to the half-time break with a two-point lead.
Armstrong said the key to the victory was that the Devils' runners got going in the second half.
"I urged my players with pace to use it in the second half and I think that's what happened,'' he said.
"[Half-forward Ken] Hall lifted his workrate in the second half to get 18 possessions, and Shane Wager used his leg speed and used the ball well.''
The third quarter set up the Devils' win when they doggedly held Geelong to three goals, despite the Cats kicking with the fresh breeze.
Ben Setchell typified the Devils with several hard-ball gets and tackles.
Luke Shackleton worked hard on the backline and had 18 disposals by halfway through the third quarter.
The Devils' game started to click and a number of times the ball was moved the length
of the ground with good footpassing and handball.
But it was still anybody's game at the final change, with the Devils holding a seven-point cushion.
Callinan lifted the Devils early in the final quarter. Running straight towards the boundary line, he outsprinted his opponent and kicked a left-foot goal that would have done Brisbane superstar
Jason Akermanis proud.
Wingman Shane Wager got better as the game went on, and with his long kicking he repeatedly speared the ball inside 50 metres.
Tassie broke the game open at about the 15-minute mark with successive goals to Wager and Brett Geappen.
Plapp then finished off a good passage of play with a long goal to put the Devils 30 points clear. Ben Atkin, Nathan Henley and Matthew Geappen all added goals in the final five minutes.
It was a good sign for the Devils that by the time it was over they had 12 goalscorers, and, in an indication of their workrate, more than 80 handball receives.
Armstrong singled out the 22-year-old Callinan for a special mention after his 36-possession game that included three goals.
"He was fantastic and I hope we don't see him playing here next year - he deserves to be drafted [to the AFL].''
Final Scores
Geelong 7.2 8.3 10.5 13.9-87
Tasmania 4.4 8.5 11.6 19.10-124
Geelong
Goal Kickers: J. Garth 3, J. Byrne 2, A. Cook, J. Barham, J. Cheep, B. Prismall, L. Buckland, N. Batchelor, M. Torney, H. Ryan
Best Players: M. Spencer, T. Sheringham, J. Barham, B. Prismall, J. Byrne, J. Bolton
Tasmania
Goal Kickers: J. Plapp 4, I. Callinan 3, B. Geappen 2, N. Henley 2, M. Geappen, B. Setchell, B. Beams, B. Atkin, S. Wager, T. Geappen, B. Robinson, C. Brown
Best Players: I. Callinan, J. Plapp, L. Shackleton, T. Ronaldson, S. Wager, M. Geappen
Reports:Nil, At Skilled Stadium
Last Modified on 14/07/2005 08:36