Any one growing up playing junior footy would know how as you progressed through the age groups you tended to play the same sides year in year out; with just the players getting a year older.
by Darren Spence
Invariably there was always one side; one side that you thumped every year you played them. For the mighty St. Damians Junior Football Club it was Park Orchards. Wearing the Collingwood colours and being a very new suburb back in the late 70s and early 80s, they were the whipping boys back in the day; sometimes not being able to fill a full team. Every year the long drive out to their home ground you knew it was going to be a certain win.
Now there is no disrespect whatsoever towards the Gold Coast by comparing the Suns to the hapless Park Orchards of the 70s however, they too are a relatively new club on the scene and have been decimated by injuries of late. The Mighty Dees have capitalised on this and been quick to go in for the kill and on Sunday at the home of football we inflicted our second belting of the season over the Gold Coast Suns.
I wrote last week that if we ever could maintain the intensity/domination we show quite often in glimpses/quarters of matches for a full game then the 190 record would be in trouble. Well at quarter time it did! A brilliant 9 goal opening start put the game beyond reach and it really was a matter of how far after that. Could we get our 2nd 100 point win for the first time ever? Alas Fritsch spoilt the party with a miss on the siren but who really is going to complain about a 96 point win? Our score line was very similar to the early game in the season. 146 and 143 and in both games it could have been more as our kicking let us down. We now stand well clear on top of the goal scoring ladder; a far cry from just a few years ago when 10 goals a game was cause for some level of celebration!
Oliver….again was fantastic and arguably BOG. He played up forward more this week and will add further danger to opposition coaches as we already have a large spread of potential goal kickers in our side. Brayshaw also had plenty of the ball with 27 touches, Hogan has started finding form again and his multiple efforts were outstanding – he got 4 goals as a reward. Garlett was dangerous, Salem was great, Tyson, Jones, Harmes, Neal Bullen, Petracca and Gawn also deserve mentions in what was a huge win for the Demons.
Back to whipping boys. This week it is the Swans. A side that certainly has had the wood over us of late. This is an early final for us. Win and we are almost certainly in the 8 come September, lose and the pressure will mount once again. We will get home.
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