VFL wrap: Borough return to the top
Posted by Brent DiamondAug 16. 2012 3:10 pm
PORT Melbourne coach Gary Ayres was just relieved to get the points in its three-point win over Box Hill which keeps it in the hunt for top spot.
The win helped it return to top of the table after Geelong upset Casey.
“I just got that feeling that the game was being turned on its head and they (Box Hill) were the ones that were doing it and we were the ones contributing to that a little bit but you’ve just got to find some fight,” Ayres said.
“I don’t care what you do and how you do it, but that you drag yourself over the line. Today at three quarter time, there was well and truly a crossroad that the Port boys had to fight.”
Ayres was confident his team wasn’t on the slide and that it can pick itself up before September.
“I’m not concerned about not playing our best footy now,” he said.
“This was a hard game and we’ve got to play hard footy and finals footy is hard footy. There wasn’t any flow from both sides.”
He said midfielder Sam Dwyer, who suffered a break to his leg, may still return for the first week of finals.
“We got some good news yesterday that if everything goes well, that he may be available for the first week in the finals so that’s a better diagnosis than originally,” he said.
Heath O’Farrell and Ryan Gale also made strong returns for Port in the development league.
FRANKSTON continued its remarkable record over the Coburg Tigers with a 18-point win at Coburg City Oval.
The Dolphins have perhaps put some life back into the race to avoid the wooden spoon as they keep in touch with Coburg, just about them.
It is the fourth consecutive match they have won over the Coburg Tigers, winning both encounters this year and last.
Draft prospects Kyle Martin, Leigh Osborne and Dylan Van Unen were among the best for the Dolphins in a solid display.
WERRIBEE further smashed North Ballarat’s finals aspirations with an 82-point thumping at Avalon Airport Oval.
North’s Ben Warren kicked three goals for the Tigers, while Ben Ross and Levi Greenwood were among the best.
The win has propelled Werribee to second on the ladder behind Port Melbourne before today’s crucial encounter between Casey and Geelong which may decide the top four positioning.
WILLIAMSTOWN consolidated fifth spot with a 24-point win over the Northern Blues. Ayce Cordy, Ben Jolley and James Wall were among the best in an important win for the Seagulls.
GEELONG provided the big upset of the round to boost its top two aspirations with a 14-point win over the Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields
And Sandringham demolished Collingwood by 74-points at Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
Hero of the week: John Baird (Port Melbourne) – Kicked a critical goal to kick-start Port’s brilliant final quarter comeback against Box Hill.
Villain of the week: Collingwood’s VFL post-match - Certainly didn’t show too much respect for the daily media after its embarrassing loss to the Zebras. Finally VFL coach Tarkyn Lockyer came out to speak to media around half an hour after the match after the media was told he was not speaking to media at all. Let’s hope it’s not a trend for stand alone clubs in the VFL.
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Tags: Port Melbourne, VFL
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