The Calder Cannons produced one of its best performances of the past couple of Coates Talent League boys seasons to upset Gippsland Power on Saturday.
Without their coach and several star players due to Vic Metro commitments, the Cannons had the pressure on against the top of the table Power.
It was even for the first three quarters before the Cannons kicked five goals to none in the final quarter to come away with a 15.11 (101)-10.10 (70) win.
Cannons assistant coach Micheal Farrelly, who took on the head coaching role, said it was pretty awesome to see what the group had done.
“It was good to test the boys and see them rise to compete with the best team in the competition,” he said.
“We had a good week on the track and heading in the right direction. We embraced the game and it was really good.”
With nothing in the game for the first three quarters, the message was pretty simple to the playing group at both half time and three quarter time.
Farrelly said they went back to what they were talking about during the week.
“Our first halves have been phenomenal and our second halves have been average at times,” he said.
“I bought it up at half time and again at three quarter time.
“We had to kick into gear. We were in the game and we had to do the basics well as much as we could to play good footy.
“It fired them up and we gave everything in the final quarter kicking five goals to none. It was an extraordinary effort.”
Farrelly said with the side’s record playing in the east not great, it made the win even more special.
He said it was easily their best game of the season and possibly the best in the past couple of seasons.
Farrelly said they were hoping this would build some more confidence into the group heading into the back part of the season.
“We put it on the boys to find out where we are,” he said. “This will bring a lot of confidence as a team to believe in yourself.”
Wil Hanegraaf, Taj Robinson and Jackson Watkins kicked three goals each in the win.
Sam Harris, Levi West and Watkins were named the Cannons best.
It was a good weekend for the Cannons all weekend, with Huss El Achkar, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Adam Sweid playing well in Vic Metro’s win against South Australia.
Sweid kicked four goals and El Achkar kicked three goals.
