Association Football
A Grade
FAR WEST v EASTERN EYRE…Before an excellent crowd and in perfect conditions at Thevenard Oval Eastern Eyre gave Far West a lesson in how to approach representative football.
The game was over after the first 30 minutes. Eastern Eyre was far too committed, fitter, stronger and physical than their Far West opponents.
Leading by 39 points at quarter time Eastern Eyre had given exactly what coach Peter Woolford had demanded before the game; a hard relentless attack on the ball. They ran hard and used the ball well.
Although Far West played better in the next three quarters it was obvious coach Peter Collins had some huge challenges on his hands.
He was faced with a couple of key players whose fitness was certainly suspect and two or three more that just weren’t up to it.
Eastern Eyre had set the scene in the first quarter, all it had to do was maintain the pressure and not allow Far West to get their fast open game moving. Each time Far west scored a goal after quarter time it was no problem for Eastern Eyre to go forward and score to maintain or increase its advantage.
At one stage during the third quarter it looked as though the game was going to turn into a training run for Eastern Eyre bur Far West did fight back and tried hard to stop the flow of goals from a very confident opponent.
Eastern Eyre was led from the front by its captain Matt Lienert, he started on the ball, then moved to centre half forward where he impressed to win the award for Eastern Eyre’s best player.
Far West struggled from the centre of the ground where it was outclassed in ruck and it had problems with dynamic centreman Matty Franklin. He was a major source of drive to his attacking zone and Dillion Beinke and Nathan Hornhardt took full advantage up forward.
Eastern Eyre’s back six, Ryan Hannan, Mark Mercer, Simon Hunt, Kane Schubert, Jarad Siviour and Tony Evans were quite outstanding, there were no easy goals for Far West as they stood firm all day and rebounded from defence.
Across the centre Far West had only one clear winner and that was Myles Warmington - he was clearly their best player and he worked hard all day and fully deserved Far West’s best player award.
Cody Colbung kicked three goals for Far West and was amongst its best players along with Rohan Scott who battled hard, Kingsley Benbolt showed flashes of brilliance and Locky Brown although still lacking in match fitness showed why he is a leading player in Far West football.
The only redeeming feature is that, although going down by 59 points, Far West is embarking on a program to lift their performance in representative football. Saturday’s efforts compared with Far West’s last performance at Mortlock Shield level when defeated by in excess of 25 goals was much better. But they will have to raise the bar again in a few weeks time as when they clash with Eastern Eyre again in Port Lincoln.
The Far West selectors should have the advantage of having Todd Warmington and ‘Spike’ Dunn available for selection and this will provide Far West with hardness at the contest next time around. Blues ruckman Wayne Miller should also be over a calf strain injury.
Eastern Eyre 17-18 (120) d Far West 9-7 (61)
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