Laurimar have stamped its authority on the Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) Division 3 finals series with a commanding 59-point victory over Ivanhoe in their Qualifying Final meeting at Main Street Recreation Reserve, Thomastown on Sunday afternoon.
After a tight and congested opening, the Power eventually found their rhythm and never looked back, running out 15.12 (102) to 5.13 (43) winners.
QUALIFYING FINAL
IVANHOE: 1.1 3.5 4.9 5.13 (43)
GOALS: Josh Hogan, Daniel McLinden, Marcel Moran, Wayne Shultz, Tristan Stead.
BEST: Kane Veliou, Oscar McIntyre, Marcel Moran, Wayne Schultz, Antony Willison, Will Goodieson.
LAURIMAR: 3.5 6.8 9.11 15.12 (102)
GOALS: Patrick Fitzgerald 5, Joel Lawson 2, Kaiden Arthur, Cooper Herbet, Jai Langford, Bailey Macleod, Carter McCall, Stephen McCallum, Noah Mooney, Campbell Walker.
BEST: Cooper Herbert, Bailey Macleod, Ethan Bateman, Patrick Fitzgerald, Jacob Lawson, Aidan Clarke.
The contest began in scrappy fashion, with both sides feeling each other out and space at a premium.
Laurimar were first to settle and generated repeat entries, but wasted early opportunities in front of the goals.
Their persistence was eventually rewarded when Carter McCall slotted the opener, before veteran Stephen McCallum produced a brilliant snap from the boundary to ignite the Laurimar crowd.
Ivanhoe steadied through Tristan Stead, but superstar forward Patrick Fitzgerald, who had missed a couple of early shots, found his range late in the quarter to give Laurimar a 16-point lead at the first change.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with Ivanhoe working hard to stay in the contest. But every time they found a goal, Laurimar had an immediate response.
Josh Hogan gave the Hoers some hope with the first of the term, but Bailey Macleod answered instantly with one of his own in what was a superb four-quarter performance from the Power midfielder.
His work rate and composure in traffic were vital as Laurimar began to take control around the stoppages.
The influence of Cooper Herbert through the midfield grew as the match wore on. Herbert was simply outstanding, consistently winning clearances, breaking lines and setting up his forwards with precision.
He capped off his dominant day with a classy goal in the final quarter, further underlining his best-on-ground display.
By halftime, Laurimar held a 21-point buffer, but it was in the second half where they truly flexed their muscle.
After Ivanhoe threatened briefly in the first 10 minutes of the third term, the Power clicked into another gear and dominated all facets of the game.
They ran in waves, moved the ball with confidence and capitalised on their forward entries, piling on nine goals to just two after the main break.
Patrick Fitzgerald was the chief destroyer in the attack, finishing with five majors to cap off another influential performance.
His strong marking presence and ability to impact contests gave Ivanhoe’s defence headaches all afternoon.
Behind the ball, Ethan Bateman was a rock for Laurimar, cutting off countless forward thrusts and providing rebound drives to launch counter-attacks.
For Ivanhoe, there were still positives despite the heavy defeat. Marcel Moran was superb in the first half, finding plenty of the footy and working tirelessly to keep his side competitive.
Meanwhile, Kane Veliou never stopped trying, applying pressure and contesting hard until the final siren.
The result means Laurimar progresses to a tantalising clash with the Fitzroy Stars at Main Street Recreation Reserve, Thomastown, next Saturday (23/8), with the winner to earn a direct path to the NFNL Division 3 grand final
Ivanhoe, meanwhile, will look to regroup quickly as they face Kilmore in next Sunday’s (24/8) knockout semi-final at Main Street Recreation Reserve, Thomastown.
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