Panthers storm to 96 point victory

IT WAS a strong start to the season for Kilcunda Bass Football Netball Club, with all footy sides claiming the four points.

The Panthers travelled to the Korumburra Showgrounds ready to take on whatever the Giants had to throw at them, and the Seniors came away with a 96-point win.

The ground was in top condition, and the weather was perfect for footy.

A slight breeze favoured one end but did not make a significant difference.

Kilcunda Bass kicked with the wind in the first quarter and got the start it wanted.

It took the boys a bit of adjusting to the new faces in the lineup, which showed as Korumburra got the first few centre-bounce clearances.

Some of the new faces included Brody Connelly, Trent Cartmel and returning player Ned Bradley.

With a few midfield rotations as well, Kilcunda Bass looked to be a whole new team at certain times. 

However, within 10 minutes, Kilcunda Bass found itself back on track and managed to get four goals to one clear.

This saw the Panthers’ game liven up, which made for a larger break before the quarter time siren. 

Kilcunda Bass went into the second quarter anticipating whether it would still be able to score without the wind advantage.

Though a little tougher, Kilcunda Bass still managed to hit its targets and took the opportunity to work on its defensive game.

The Panthers looked strong down back, with some great systems in place.

Steven and Lachie Scott made a great partnership, and Lleyton Cartmel showed he is growing in confidence.

Gavin Boyd, another new player to the club, also proved to be a new asset in the backline.

Although the Giants had rallied and put three goals on the scoreboard, the Panthers were comfortable with where they were heading into the halftime break, having kicked five.

The third quarter is what the Panthers have been training for all preseason and proved they had gotten themselves fit enough to take on the challenge.

With the added benefit of the breeze, this third quarter has upped the confidence in the boys for all third quarters to come.

They found the adrenaline they needed and brought the energy Panthers fans had seen during the recent practice matches.

Darcy Clay played one of his best games for the club, growing with confidence and reliably arriving on the scene on the wing.

Trent Cartmel still has two years of U18s left in him, but the time and effort that has been put into his game paid dividends on the weekend and has started a great campaign for him for the rest of the season.

The Panthers went into the last quarter with eight more goals on the board, leaving the Giants scoreless.

Both teams dug deep and continued to fight, but the Panthers had successfully won the day.

For Korumburra-Bena, the best players were Kyle Brown, Jayden Deas, Byron Walker, Aidan Simmons, Josh Hopkin and Kye Benson.

Kilcunda-Bass will play Warragul at home next weekend.

It is hard to gauge how this match will go.

Warragul also enjoyed a win in round one, but a rivalry is bound to shine through this weekend, as Kilcunda Bass took Warragul’s spot in the top six last season. 

The Panthers will head back to training this week and are confident they are up for the challenge.

Korumburra-Bena has another challenge ahead, set to face Inverloch-Kongwak in the Sea Eagles’ first game of the season.