Yawney’s five helps Goon stun Sea Eagles

By Aiden Box

INVERLOCH-KONGWAK have been stunned by an outstanding display of football from the Goon who showed they’re every bit as much of a contender with a 41-point win at home on Saturday in blustery conditions. 
The hosts looked focused to taste revenge after falling to the Sea Eagles in round 11, and wanted to show the competition just how great a danger they’ll be in the finals. 
The visitors welcomed back Clint McCaughan and Lewis Rankin from illness, but lost Marcus Toussaint prior to the opening siren.
Sea Eagles coach Ben Soumilas spoke to the Sentinel Times after the match. 
“We’re disappointed in that result today, but we’d be fools if we sat there and dwelled on that for too long, we’ve worked hard all year to get to the finals and we’re here now so that’s where our focus is,” he said. 
The game was set up to be a true blockbuster between the teams in third and fourth on the ladder, with all eyes on the clash between IK’s excellent defence and Nar Nar Goon’s high-powered forward line. 
The midfield battle was also a mouth-watering one and it was the visitors who had the upper hand early, coming out of the blocks with the first two majors to Jenson Garnham and Thomas Wyatt. 
From the outset it looked as though IK had committed to a ball control based gameplan, focusing on sharp skills and ball movement, and it worked wonders early in the first term. 
However, five unanswered goals to the Goon to end the opening term certainly put it to the test as the pressure rose.
Soumilas spoke on the risk and reward of the game style his team tried to execute. 
“Your gameplan is something you aim to play every week and then you’ll adjust your tactics to suit the opposition, so we’ll continue to play how IK plays and we’ll adjust tactics as we go,” he said. 
“Did we want to win today, yes, does it stop our chances of winning next week in a final against a different opposition, I don’t think so, but absolutely full credit to Nar Nar Goon today.”
Nar Nar Goon flipped the switch midway through the first term and showed their strength, despite the skill level dramatically decreasing due to the pressure, the Goon bombarded the IK defence. 
Despite kicking four goals in the second term and showing patches of slick play and real grit, the Sea Eagles simply didn’t show enough for long enough and couldn’t prevent the Goon from piling on the goals. 
The hosts brushed off multiple fighting passages of play from IK and matched it with pure dominance of their own, peppering their forwards with opportunities thanks to their superb level of composure in windy conditions. 
The IK coach heaped his praise for the home side and spoke on the large amount of turnovers his side committed.
“They didn’t just make the most of their opportunities, they didn’t just get a good run, they didn’t just make the most of momentum, they were better than us across more positions, for much longer in the game, they were deserved winners today,” he said. 
“If you’ve lost the game, you’re going to narrow it down to a few things, certainly if you identify today that there were skills errors, yep they’re there, they’re probably a strong link to when you lose.”
“I don’t think it’s a problem until you kick poorly, we’ve got enough good kickers in there, if we come out and play really well, we’re going to be a good chance in a final, if we cough the ball up by foot we’ll get beaten.”
Tom Hams and Corey Casey battled valiantly in the midfield for IK, playing themselves into the best on a tough afternoon, which saw them lose midfield mate Oscar Toussaint to a shoulder injury. 
Although it was played at a finals-like intensity, the match didn’t have any bearing on the final standings, as IK finished third and Nar Nar Goon fourth. 
The Sea Eagles will face Warragul in the first Elimination Final at Bass on Saturday, while the Goon will take on Cora Lynn in Sunday’s second Elimination Final at Bunyip.