101 reasons to love the Lakers

It was a typical Kinglake winter’s day with rain, fog, sleet and a howling north-westerly wind that saw the temperature struggle to reach eight degrees.

The wind did have the advantage of moving the fog along, otherwise, the day’s match(es) may have been stopped by umpires.

Kinglake made a flying start kicking nine goals eight in the opening term whilst holding Thornton scoreless.

The wind favoured Kinglake, kicking to the club room (eastern) end of the Kinglake Memorial Oval.

In the second quarter with Thornton now kicking with the wind,  put their opening score on the board.

Kinglake kept Thornton scoreless in the third term, but could only manage five scoring shots to Thornton’s four in the final term, with Kinglake winning by 101 points.

In netball, Powelltown’s B Grade team easily accounted for Kinglake, winning by 28 goals. In C Grade  Kinglake was too strong for Thornton-Eildon winning by 31 points. Whilst in D Grade Jaquelynn Pascoe shot 24 goals as the main goal shooter.

SENIORS

After winning the coin toss, the Lakers elected to kick with the north-westerly wind to the club room end (eastern) and quickly opened the game. kicking the first four goals.

Kinglake had 28 inside 50s to only one from Thornton, who were kept scoreless in the opening term.

Five minutes into the second term and Thornton kicked their first score, a goal.

Thornton’s centre clearance rate improved dramatically, with four clearances to Kinglake’s six at the centre bounces.

This would be Thornton’s best quarter for the day, with Thornton having eleven inside 50s to Kinglake’s 10, and two forward presses to none at all from Kinglake before the half-time break.

Thornton would be kept scoreless in the third quarter while Kinglake kicked six goals and seven points.

With inaccurate kicking and the wind, it kept Kinglake from really blowing the margin out.

Kinglake’s tackle rate also dropped off, with only four tackles, compared to ten in the opening term.

Whilst Kinglake had 22 inside 50s, with the weather it was difficult for either side to kick accurately in the howling wind.

Thornton stood up and added two more goals and two points whilst defending well against Kinglake, restricting Kinglake to only five scoring opportunities in the final term.

AFL Yarra Ranges Second Division top five is currently:  (1) Yarra Glen (145.11 per cent); (2) Kinglake (135.02%); (3) Alexandra (112.67%); all now sit equal first on the ladder with nine wins, four losses and 44 premiership points, with (4) Gembrook-Cockatoo (120.41%) in fifth place on 40 points and  (5) Yea (132.53%) on 32 points.

This AFL Yarra Ranges Second Division season is shaping as the tightest race for finals spots in many years. Which football clubs make the final five could come down to the results and percentages of round 18.

Next week Kinglake travel to Powelltown, Thornton-Eildon have a bye, with Alexandra playing Seville at home and Yea travelling down to Yarra Glen.

SENIORS
KINGLAKE:             9.8, 11.11, 17.18, 19.21 (135)
GOALS: Rob Malison 6, Luke Forsyth 5, Matt Robinson 2, Cam Arnot, Beau Wilkinson, Andrew Whelan, Ethan Robinson, Bailey Robinson, Jack Crowe.
BEST: Rob Malison, Andrew Whelan, Ethan Robinson, Bailey Robinson, Jacob Harward, Luke Forsyth.

THORNTON-EILDON: 0.0, 3.2, 3.2, 5.4 (34)
GOALS: Andrew Reddan, Chris Johnson, Daniel Creed, Simon Larkman, Robert Andrews.
BEST: Jake Strachan, Andrew Reddan, Zacahry King, Brendan Musgrove, Robert Andrews, Jesse Mitchell.

RESERVES
KINGLAKE:             5.2, 10.3, 13.3, 14.4 (88)
GOALS: Mitch McAuley 3, Andrew Young 2, Ben White 2, Rodney Pratt 2, Clinton Booker 2, Mathew Newton, Brett Groves, Bradley Thomas.
BEST: Clinton Booker, Lachie White, Rodney Pratt, Ben White, Mathew Newton, Andrew Young.

THORNTON-EILDON: 0.0, 2.1, 2.1, 2.4 (16)
GOALS: Chris Johnson, Jack Synnott.
BEST: Levi Ronalds, Liam Thomas, Matthew Hawkes, Tim Bail, Phillip Gourlay, Ben Lowerson.

UNDER 18s
KINGLAKE vs WANDIN
NO RESULTS AVAILABLE.

NETBALL B GRADE
KINGLAKE: 9, 16, 20, (24)
GOALS: Jade White 12, Karsha Hoyt 12.
BEST: Jade White, Karsha Hoyt, Hayley Bawden.

POWELLTOWN: 16, 24, 37, (52)
GOALS: Kerrie Walton 47, Jessica Mebbrey 5.
BEST: Kerrie Walton, Glenda Crofts, Sarah Woodward.

NETBALL C GRADE
KINGLAKE: 15, 25, 36, (46)
GOALS: Jade White 34, Sarah Baerken 12.
BEST: Lauren McMahon, Sarah Baerken, Jade White.

THORNTON-EILDON: 3, 9, 12, (15)
GOALS: Michelle Sloan 8, Emily King 7.
BEST: Heather Mason, Emily King, Cecilia Ladd.

NETBALL D GRADE
KINGLAKE: 14, 21, 34, (41)
GOALS: Jaquelynn Pascoe 24, Olivia Turner-Dickson 5.
BEST: Jaquelynn Pascoe, Stacey Norbury, Sian Eddington.

THORNTON-EILDON: 2, 3, 5, (6)
GOALS: Christine Biles 3, Karen Richards 2, Madison Richards.
BEST: Brodie Tyacke, Emma Rainey, Jen Fletcher.

NETBALL UNDER 17s
BYE

AFL YARRA RANGES FINALS VENUES 2016

Division 1 Football & Netball

Division 2 Football & Netball

Article first published as “101 reasons to love the Lakers” in The Local Paper, August 3, 2016, p.16. and “Lakers too good for Thornton” The Yea Chronicle, August 3, 2016, p.16