Power switches to wet weather footy

YOU’D like to have three Jakeb Thomas’s in your team; one as a powerful lead-up forward, one as a key defender and one to pinch-hit in the ruck.

Wonthaggi had all that and more from their big-hearted onballer on Saturday as he led them through a rain-affected contest against Drouin, a team that seems to grow a leg, despite their lowly position on the ladder, whenever it rains.

Wonthaggi’s reserves had the best of the conditions on Saturday as the rain held off while they piled 21 goals to one, led by their captain Adam Busana with five and a creative Tom Davey piling up the goal assists in a free-flowing display.

But, right on queue, as the footballers and netballers from both clubs lined up for a fitting ANZAC round observance, the rain came tumbling down and stayed around for much of the first half, proving to be something of a leveller between the teams until Wonthaggi ultimately broke away for a convincing victory, featuring a pleasing contribution right across the board.

Wonthaggi went into attack first, for a point, but Drouin was playing the short game well out of defence and returned fire in a competitive opening by the visitors. Jye Gilmour and Kyle Reid were quickly into their work in defence, Noah Anderson busy and Jarryd Blair creative but it was Drouin’s Zayne Atkins who brought up the first goal of the match.

Ryan Sparkes was getting first hands on the ball as Jakeb Thomas competed hard in the ruck against Riley Wierzbicki and it wasn’t long before Drouin put the hard tag of Atkins on the Power playmaker.

Finally, concentration and work ethic paid off for Power with Noah Anderson kicking low and straight for their first goal.

Both teams were rotating players through the midfield roles initially with Thomas, Anderson, Bates and Sparkes opposed to Wierzbicki, Marshall, Quirk and Atkins but also with Patterson and Shone taking a turn in there as well for Power.

Cooper McInnes was busy on the forward line and slipped a Drouin tackle before straightening up and putting the Power in front.

The home side had made the adjustment to wet weather footy and were outworking Drouin at each contest but it was the visitors who got one against the run of play when onballer Kaiden Walmsley got out the back to kick an easy one.

It was two goals apiece at quarter time with plenty of feeling in the contest after some heated clashes and fierce tackling.

There were no goals either way after 10 minutes in a tight and tough second quarter, McInnes missing from the angle and a shot by Jasper Shone touched but finally Josh Bates kicked long and straight to stretch the lead.

Isaac Chugg was working up and down the field, cutting down Drouin’s attacking moves at one end and then linking up in transition. Noah Anderson, Jarvis Harvey, Reeve Moresco, Jye Gilmour and

Kyle Reid in defence, Blake Cornelis, the Macmillan brothers, Jakeb Thomas… the Power didn’t have a passenger, but Drouin was hanging in there.

Finally, a cheeky Kye Quirk let the Power defenders know all about it after he converted a free kick from the angle but it was immediately answered by a Cooper McInnes snap and it was all business in the lead up to half time by the home side as they put on two more, one of them featuring a classy pass to the leading Thomas who slotted it through the round out the quarter.

Wonthaggi was 26 points up at the long break in a low-scoring, wet-weather affair but they’d already assumed obvious control over the game.
Defenders Reid, Gilmour and Jarvis Harvey were clear winners, Noah Anderson was having an impact up forward and on the ball, Ryan Sparkes was making light of the tag and both Thomas and

Kay Patterson were competing well. Around the ground Chugg, Thomas Macmillan and Moresco were busy and Cooper McInnes was working hard up forward.

It wasn’t a surprise to see them streak away from the opposition in the third quarter, kicking seven goals to two to ice the game; Ryan Sparkes started the ball rolling when he linked up with Thomas, Chugg and Shone. Drouin’s Ben Brasier slid one through for the answer but Jaxon Willams and Noah Anderson combined for the answer. Thomas and McInnes were others to score goals in a strong quarter.

At the break, Power coach Jarryd Blair was pleased with the effort but he was equally determined to maintain focus on the contest, which they did, kicking five goals to one to run away with a percentage-boosting win against a team that will worry other sides this year on the form they showed on Saturday.