SANDY'S SWEET REVENGE

[Demonland 73,140]

by Barry from Beach Road

Sandringham made amends for its shock home loss to Box Hill in the wet earlier this season by recording a 46-point away against the Hawks on their own dung heap on Sunday. The victory was both sweet and emphatic. It preserved the club's two game lead at the top of the VFL table and all but ensured that the Zebras would finish the home and away series as minor premiers.

Mark Williams handed the coaching reins for the week to reserves coach Steve Grace who handled the job with great aplomb. His team jumped their hosts early in the game with the aid of the breeze and managed four goals to none in difficult conditions on a ground that was heavy under foot and against a team that dropped numbers back to crowd the Sandy forward line.

It was not a day for pretty football but Sandringham was always in control thanks to a sensational effort from a back line that was so stingy it hardly let the wind through. Simon Buckley, Peter Summers and David Gallagher were the early stars and they moved the ball forward with regularity to where Brad Miller and Stefan Martin were in fine marking form. Miller booted two early goals and was proving a handful for the Hawks' defenders with his strong attack on the ball.

Box Hill, which has a strong contingent of early round Hawthorn draft selections in its ranks, managed to regroup after quarter time and kicked the first two goals of the second term. However, Sandringham steadied and found its way forward enough times to finally record the first goal of the day against the wind just before half time. This allowed it to take a handy sixteen-point lead into the main break.

If the game was lacklustre in the first half, the Zebras livened it up considerably in the third term when the likes of Ezra Poyas and Guy Martin positively exploded to make a winning result beyond the reach of the Hawks. Aided by a dominant ruck and midfield group, Sandy cut a swathe through the ragged Box Hill back line to boot eight goals for the quarter.

Poyas was positively brilliant with some of his efforts and one goal in particular warmed the hearts of supporters when he evaded a group of Hawk defenders as if they were stationary witches' hats and capped off his play by threading the ball through the big sticks. At the end of the quarter, the match was dead and buried with Sandringham holding an unbeatable 53-point lead.

The game then lapsed back to mediocrity with both defences on top and plenty of mistakes being made as the ball see sawed from one end of the ground to the other. The Hawks kicked the only goal for the term but both teams seemed to be going through the motions although the Zebra defence headed by Chris Lamb, Colin Garland, Andy Biddlecombe and Matthew Warnock continued to thrive even when the steady as a rock Clint Bizzell left the field after a knock to the face.

Buckley and Daniel Ward were steady in linking the play while the younger brigade stood out once again. The likes of Sam Monaghan, Tom Paterakis, Tomi Johnston and Rennie Gilchrist continue to gain valuable experience while Stefan Martin with his sold marking and ruckwork up forward is something of a revelation. The VFL's leading goal kicker, Nick Sautner was held goalless in conditions which did not really suit his style of play.

Having beaten all comers bar North Ballarat this season, Sandringham has the opportunity to clear the ledger this Sunday when it plays host to the Roosters at Trevor Barker Oval. The game promises to provide some interesting football as North will be desperate to make the most of its final opportunity to secure a top four placing. The Zebras will have some interesting decisions to make at selection when skipper Chad Liddell and a possible future leader in Rod Crowe are ready to return to the side.

HOW THE DEMONS FARED

Clint Bizzell - played his usual steady and reliable game in defence and moved up the ground to score a goal when the team was really on song. A blow to the face during the final quarter left him with blurred vision and prematurely ended his game.

Simon Buckley - dropped from the Melbourne side after five games, Buckley produced a best on ground performance that underlined how much he had learned at the highest levels of the game suggesting he will be back in that company sooner rather than later. Was a ball magnet off half back and a wing.

Colin Garland - has been working hard and looking better with every passing week especially since being moved into defence where he is starting to show some real class. Expect him to kick on and show great improvement in 2008.

Chris Johnson - a lively player who started a little slowly but showed out with some excellent disposal skills and finished the day with a couple of nice goals.

Paul Johnson - although the leading ruckman on the ground, he did not dominate. At times however, he showed up around the ground with some good possessions.

Brad Miller - had a good day at centre half forward where he attacked the ball hard and beat off a couple of opponents including former team mate Nick Smith. Got the team going with a couple of early goals and was threatening all day. If he could display the same sort of attitude in his AFL games he would not be at the standstill he finds himself with his career at the present time.

Shane Neaves - didn't have a big job on the day and just went as the second ruckman.

Daniel Ward - was in a lot of the play and linked up well driving the ball forward from half back but his major flaw was his disposal which let him down more than a few times.

Matthew Warnock - went about his job in a workmanlike manner and was one of many cogs in a very strong defence.

Sandringham 4.2.26 5.4.34 13.7.85 13.10.88

Box Hill Hawks 0.2.2 2.6.18 4.8.32 5.12 .42

Goals

Sandringham Miller 3 C Johnson S Martin Martyn Poyas 2 Bizzell Valenti

Box Hill Hawks Bull Dowler Ellis Kennedy Thorp

Best

Sandringham Summers Poyas Buckley Lamb Garland Miller

Box Hill Hawks Markovic Thurgood Renouf Bull Tuck Thorp

The Reserves blew away their chances of a win and relinquished fifth place on the ladder with some shocking inaccuracy when they kicked with the aid of the breeze in the first quarter against the Hawks. Despite having most of the play, they led by six points at the first break after booting 3.9 to 3.3. Box Hill took advantage of the situation when it kicked with the wind in the second term and was well in control by half time ultimately winning comfortably by 37 points.

Mark Johnston and big Ewan McKenzie were the standouts while Isaac Weetra booted three goals up forward. Daniel Hughes, on the comeback trail kicked a brilliant goal in an otherwise disappointing display by the young Zebras who must now win both remaining games and rely on the results of other games to enable them to see some action in September.

Reserves

Sandringham 3.9.27 5.11.41 5.14.44 9.18.72

Box Hill Hawks 3.3.21 9.6.60 12.9.81 16.13.109

Goals

Sandringham Weetra 3 Curcio Gileno 2 Goold Hughes

Box Hill Hawks Cook Marguccio 3 Batt Conyers King 2 Barker Buchanan Pedersen Robinson

Best

Sandringham Johnston Gileno McKenzie A Martin Neville Dean

Box Hill Hawks Buchanan Batt Marguccio Pedersen King Holmes