Rampaging Redlegs slaughter poor Pythons

JONTY’S JOTTINGS

Peninsula Preliminary Final
by Brendan Rhodes
Photos by Rab Siddhi, RPPFM Peninsula Photos on Facebook

(please support my fundraising effort at https://beardsofhope2016.gofundraise.com.au/page/BrendanRhodes)

MT ELIZA will enter Sunday’s Peninsula League Grand Final against Frankston YCW oozing with confidence after embarrassing Pines for a second time in this finals series in the Telstra Stores Mornington and Rosebud Preliminary Final at Frankston Park yesterday.

The Redlegs obliterated the Pythons by 61 points in the Qualifying Final a fortnight ago, and actually stepped it up a notch with an 89-point whitewash to set up a mouthwatering decider against the all-powerful Stonecats.

It was all over within a quarter.

Kicking with a slight breeze to the Young/Kars Street end of the ground, Mt Eliza took just three minutes to get on the board when Jordan Capkin slammed home a goal from 50m, and it quickly became a dejavu nightmare for the Snakes.

   Jordan Capkin outmarks teammate Justin van Unen

Capkin, unsighted and held to a solitary goal by YCW last week, was electric in the first term, booting four goals and taking the focus off the blushes of some of his teammates, who couldn’t believe their free rein and were missing easy shots from everywhere.

Mt Eliza led by 45 points at quarter-time, but had put 6.10 to 0.1 on the Bayside Automotive Group Scoreboard and really should have been five goals further to the good as Pines couldn’t even get their hands on the ball, let alone threaten to score.

William Mace added a seventh early in the second term before the Pythons managed to settle, and Guy Hendry kicked the first of his three goals for the quarter in what was virtually a lone hand all day.

But despite Pines kicking four goals for the term – an improvement on a goalless first half in the Qualifying Final – they conceded six at the other end to go into the Heritage Tavern Balnarring half-time break 60 points in arrears and completely stunned.

   Matt Davis roves a pack for one of his three goals

Matt Davis was the hero of the second term for Mt Eliza on his return from a rib injury – having not kicked a goal all season, he slammed on three for the quarter and missed a sitter for a fourth.

Big man Matt Lillie was in total command of star Pines ruckman Beau Hendry, providing armchair service to Rohan Heasley, Ben Landry and Zallec White.

Mace, Robert Turnbull and Matt Stanley were dangerous up forward, while captain Sam Gill was impassable at centre half back, with plenty of support coming from David Barton and Harper Leonard, and Karl Lombardozzi managed to keep the dangerous Aaron Edwards goalless.

   Aaron Edwards

The second half wasn’t much more than going through the motions, with the only interest coming from an increasing number of spotfires that are surely being looked at on the video today, including Jacob Boyle being stretchered from the field after an incident that the Pines supporters clearly blamed on Brodie Shaw.

Shaw revelled in the infamy (as Guy and Beau Hendry did in receiving similar treatment from the Mt Eliza fans), often turning and smiling at the crowd and engaging in a war of words as the scoreboard blew out.

When he kicked the final goal of the game, it was only icing on an extremely sweet cake as the Redlegs set up a clash that should pack Frankston Park to the rafters given the class they and YCW turned on in the Second Semi Final.

Lillie booted his second goal during the final quarter to cap an excellent performance that won him the Mornington Peninsula Brewery Player of the Day award.

   Michael Voss presents the Mornington Peninsula Brewery Man of the Match to Matt Lillie

Guy Hendry was joined by Brad Kiely, Shane Waterstone, Aaron Ludewig and Paul Scanlon in being serviceable performers for Pines, while Adam Maling put in a solid shift on Justin van Unen, despite eventually conceding three goals from an avalanche of forward 50 entries.

   Aaron Ludewig

The Redlegs will also play in the Reserves and Under 19 deciders after winning through the Second Semi, with Bonbeach turning the tables on the Stonecats to get through by four points in a heartstopping Reserves Preliminary Final, and Seaford downing YCW by 20 points in the early game as it bids to emulate Hastings’ Nepean League run from the Elimination Final to premiership glory.

 James Hammond is forced off with the blood rule

It’s Peninsula League Grand Final Day for the Telstra Stores Mornington and Rosebud RPPFM on Sunday, with Frankston YCW hoping to annex a remarkable sixth Premiership in seven seasons, including a second threepeat. But Mt Eliza will be no pushover, and every footy fan would love nothing more than a repeat of the Second Semi Final epic.
Join Andrew “Toepunt” Kelly, Brendan “Jonty” Rhodes, Michael Voss, Nepean Interleague coach Gavin Artico and maybe more for all the action from 2pm on RPPFM 98.7, rppfm.com.au, the RPPFM app, and now with live streaming through www.facebook.com/rppfm
Stay tuned for further details, but the reserves and thirds Grand Finals could also be up for broadcast on RPPFM – Your Voice Of Peninsula Footy.

PENINSULA FNL SCOREBOARD

PRELIMINARY FINAL

MT ELIZA               6.10           12.14          15.18          18.22        130
PINES                        0.1              4.2              4.3              6.5            41
Goals: MT ELIZA: Jordan Capkin 4, Matthew Davis, Justin van Unen 3, Robert Turnbull, Matt Lillie 2, Ben Landry, William Mace, Rohan Heasley, Brodie Shaw. PINES: Guy Hendry 3, Shane Waterstone, Luke Potts, Tim Bongetti.
Best: MT ELIZA: Matt Lillie (Mornington Peninsula Brewery Player of the Day); Sam Gill, Rohan Heasley, Karl Lombardozzi, Ben Landry, Harper Leonard, Jordan Capkin, David Barton, Zallec White, James Hammond, Robert Turnbull. PINES: Guy Hendry, Brad Kiely, Shane Waterstone, Aaron Ludewig, Adam Maling.

   Hammond returned to be a good contributor

RESERVES

BONBEACH             3.0              3.2              5.5              7.6            48

FRANKSTON YCW 2.0              2.1              5.1              5.5            35
Goals: BONBEACH: D. Donkin 2, J. Maxwell 2, D. Steed, M. Lacey, R. Sykes. FRANKSTON YCW: M. Chaplin 2, R. Evans, B. Lee, J. Alves, K. St Anne, T. Cowled.
Best: BONBEACH: M. Lacey, J. Rippingale, J. Bull, J. Mulholland, E. MacCormack, J. Maxwell. FRANKSTON YCW: S. Reid, K. St Anne, J. Millman, J. Bryant, S. O’Donnell, M. Barker.

UNDER 19

SEAFORD                 0.0              2.3              4.4              9.6            60
FRANKSTON YCW 2.3              2.5             3.10            5.10           40
Goals: SEAFORD: L. Thornell 4, L. Mullin 2, L. Chevalier, C. White, J. McGuiness. FRANKSTON YCW: D. Hughes 2, H. Lane, J. Butland.
Best: SEAFORD: B. Lloyd, L. Thornell, R. Chisholm, B. O’Neil, L. Mullin, B. Searle. FRANKSTON YCW: D. Hughes, B. Cracknell, M. Kelsall, J. Matthews, J. McCormack.

THIS WEEK

PENINSULA LEAGUE GRAND FINALS, SUNDAY AT FRANKSTON PARK

Seniors, 2.30pm: Frankston YCW v Mt Eliza
Reserves, 11.45am: Mt Eliza v Bonbeach
Under 19, 9.20am: Mt Eliza v Seaford

 Guy Hendry and Jay Neratzoglou

Mornington & Rosebud Telstra Stores – RPP FM Match of the Day

    Mornington Peninsula Brewery – Best on Ground

Heritage Tavern & Restaurant, Balnarring – Half Time Round-up

Bayside Automotive Group – Peninsula Finals Scoreboard

Bendigo Bank Community Bank Rye, Dromana and Rosebud – Nepean Finals scoreboard

   Rye Hotel – sponsors of RPP FM Match of the Day