Eastern Eyre Football League
A Grade Grand Final
COWELL v KIMBA DISTRICTS… About the only thing predictable about Saturday was that the wind would blow and blow and blow some more.
Some questions were answered very early – ‘Shaky’ Harris would get the job on Steven Wildman, Wayne Piggott would mind Leigh Fitzgerald and Cameron Scott would be called on to curb the midfield influence of Mick Edwards.
The Tigers were the first to wake the scoreboard attendants from their slumber with a point and then, according to the script the Cats replied with two goals and should have exerted some very early scoreboard pressure but both Chris Ramsey and Damien Taylor failed to score from set shots – highlighting just how difficult the conditions were.
Kimba’s young guns were using their pace to advantage and responded with two goals of their own, the first coming from the boot of Ben Clements who ran into an unprotected goal and the second from Simon Hunt who honoured a ‘zinger’ of a handball from KFC Congdon.
This ‘arrogance’ ruffled a few Cats Whiskers and a bit a tête-à-tête ensued right on the quarter time siren – where’s Dermy when you want him? Kimba lead 2-4 to 2-3.
Although the wind was virtually across the ground it was an advantage to be kicking towards the silo end, an advantage Kimba would enjoy for the next 30 minutes.
I guess that is the reason Steve Wildman went into the ruck and played most of the quarter a kick behind play in defence.
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Paul Franklin kick started the quarter for Cowell but it was to be their only score for the quarter. They had plenty of the ball and were knocking it to the advantage of running team-mates as they always do but their inability to find a target further afield was out of character and would have been frustrating the coaching staff and supporters alike.
The conditions were playing a part but don’t under estimate the pressure a pack of hungry tigers can exert. Kimba were effecting plenty of turnovers but the tactic of bombing it in long wasn’t paying dividends on a day not suited to the aerialists. Three rushed points, two more misses to Matt Lienert and a poster to Chris Kenchington were complemented by only the one goal. Scott Redden went back to the basics played in front and when a mongrel Fitzgerald punt fell short of the goal square he was the instantaneous beneficiary. Halftime, Kimba lead 3-10 to 3-3.
Nick Gale took to the ground after the long break and again, Cowell were first to add six points. Anybody looking for a salesman might consider Jack Burton, he has no trouble whatsoever in selling dummies.to defenders; Cowells other third quarter goalscorer was Josh Siviour.
It is generally acknowledged that the third quarter is the premiership quarter and it was no different in 2008.
‘Gadj’ Lienert found himself in space and goaled – he’d benefited from a cruel bounce that clean-bowled Brad Mills. Josh Seal was in the right place at the right time (twice) and unfortunately for Cowell it was only metres from goal, his second extending the lead to a match winning 20 points. At three quarter time Kimba lead 7-11 to 5-3.
With scoring shots favouring the Tigers 17 to 8 the Cats would need to use all their 9 lives to prevent the previous months good work from unravelling. It wasn’t to be – under pressure they were haunted by poor decision making and poor execution. Last week I mentioned they had an almost bullet-proof forward line – obviously it is not gale proof.
Kimba had all the answers and were now confident enough to go to the attacking side of the ground and it paid handsome dividends – a premiership.
Matt Lienert led by example and if his third goal didn’t seal the Wes Crosby Shield then Scott Reddens’ second did.
Josh Seal, Ben Clements and Simon Hunt clearly stretched the Cowell defence, Nathan Hornhardt (Quinns Overnight - Best On Ground) did likewise, Shannon Larwood rendered Nick Franklin ineffective, Shaky Harris was impassable – all day, but for my money the architect of the win was Hayden Chubba Whitwell. He got dumped more times than an opposition leader; runners came running (funny about that) Chubba would gingerly shake that hit off and go back for another one – this commitment was off putting for Cowell and he almost single handedly drove them to distraction.
Kimba won convincingly and the hoodoo of winning 3 in-a-row in Eastern Eyre remains.
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