NO ONE can remember the last time Wonthaggi Power won all four football matches on the one day as they did at Morwell on Saturday.
The Under 16s got the club off to good start winning 10.12.72 to 7.7.49 and the Under 18s continued the theme winning convincingly 14.8.92 to Morwell’s 6.3.39.
The Reserves held off a competitive Tiger team in a low-scoring affair 7.6.46 to 4.6.30 and the Wonthaggi Power Seniors brought it home with a gutsy two-goal win after their early lead had been whittled down to just three points half-way through the last quarter; Wonthaggi 10.8.68 to Morwell’s 8.8.56.
“Four wins. You can’t underestimate how good that is for the club today and you’re setting the standard,” said Power coach Jarryd Blair in the rooms after the game.
“That’s probably going to be our biggest challenge on the road this year. They’re good opposition and to get down to three points and come again says a lot. They’re the games you win with preparation and attitude,” said Blair.
In the run to the line, Morwell’s Brandon McDonald kicked two goals in the opening minutes of the last quarter to cut Wonthaggi’s lead to just three points, so when Jarryd Blair stuck a great tackle on the dangerous Morwell onballer Anthony Rosato in the teeth of the Power goal, his kick from 15 metres out looked set to restore a buffer.
Inexplicably, he missed it.
You don’t often get a chance to redeem yourself in such a tight match however after Ryan Sparkes kicked a crucial one from 50 metres to stretch the lead to 11 points at the 22-minute mark, Blair got that chance after a great tackle by Noah Anderson produced a turnover.
The captain Josh Bates found Blair in space and this time he snapped truly to make it a neat three goals at 27 minutes.
Morwell got a late one after a free kick to Josh Galea but the Power had withstood a Morwell fightback in front of the Tiger faithful to record a crucial win in the context of the season.
More to follow:
