Magpies in Gulls’ sights

Exciting forward Andrew Dean slammed home eight goals for Tooradin against Hampton Park. 169598 Picture: ROB CAREW

By David Nagel

Tooradin will now set its sights on claiming its biggest scalp of the season after a rollicking 156-point victory over Hampton Park at Westernport Oval on Saturday.
The Seagulls will be quite content with their second half of the season, but the big scalp of Narre Warren would provide a huge fillip ahead of another gruelling summer of training.
But, to be a chance against the Magpies, the Seagulls will need to reproduce their form from the second half against the Redbacks – because they struggled to break free of the bottom-placed side in the first half.
“First and foremost, give credit to Hampton Park because they were fantastic and really showed some pride in the jumper,” said Tooradin coach Lachie Gillespie, who has been reappointed for 2018.
“They were great, they pushed hard, but our first half was not very good at all. We went away from team rules, played as individuals, and good teams will tell you that’s not how you play your best footy.
“We saw the best and worst of Tooradin on the weekend; we were poor early but played some terrific football in the second half.”
The Redbacks kicked 4.5 in the second quarter, clearly their best output for the season, but that superb effort told after the break, the Seagulls piling on 17 unanswered goals.
They kicked 9.11 to 0.0 in the third before rattling home with a 8.6 to 0.2 final quarter.
The Seagulls forwards took great delight in ramming home the advantage, with Andrew Dean kicking eight, Kyle Van Der Pluym seven, while five goals to the impressive Nick Lang and three to Jake O’Donnell put the icing on a well-baked cake.
O’Donnell has been rejuvenated in recent weeks and took best-on-ground honours, while Julian Suarez, Kris Sabbatucci and Nick Schumann joined the long-list of goal-kickers on the best-players list.
The Redbacks will take some great confidence from away from their second quarter and will fancy their chances of at least halving their 96-point loss to Pakenham when the two teams meet at Robert Booth Reserve in Round 18.
Tim Ziegeler kicked two for the Redbacks, who had Hayden Brough, CJ Layfield and Josh Craig fight the game out to the bitter end.

TOORADIN-DALMORE         5.7       11.9     20.20   28.26(194)

HAMPTON PARK                   1.1       5.6       5.6       5.8(38)

Tooradin-Dalmore Goals: A. Dean 8, K. Van Der Pluym 7, N. Lang 5, J. O’Donnell 3, J. Suarez 2, N. Page, J. Muling, P. Chin. Best: J. O’Donnell, K. Van Der Pluym, J. Suarez, K. Sabbatucci, N. Schumann, A. Dean.

Hampton Park Goals: T. Ziegeler 2, P. Bastin, N. Williams, L. O’Brien.