By Tara Murray
Brilliant defence helped Calder Cannons all but secure a top four spot in the TAC Cup with a 38-point win over top side Oakleigh Chargers on Saturday.
Both teams entered the game at Highgate Reserve undermanned, with six or seven players out of each side because of injury or school football commitments.
But it didn’t dampen the contest and nothing separated the teams in the first quarter and a half as both struggled to find targets in the forward 50.
The Cannons kicked the last three goals of the first half to put some distance between them and the Chargers by half-time, before going on to dominate the second half and win 12.13 (85) to 6.11 (47).
Cannons coach Andrew Jago said his defence set the tone for the game.
“They set up a lot of our attack with their rebounding of the ball,” he said. “We did the votes and there were three or four defenders among them.”
At the other end of the field, Pete Wright and Hisham Kerbatieh kicked three goals each.
Jago said the focus at half time was on disposal into the forward 50.
“We needed them to try and use the middle of the ground instead of kicking to the boundary, which they were doing,” he said. “Jayden Foster and Wright got on top in the second half. Big players don’t shrink as the game goes on.”
The biggest concerns for the Cannons out of the game were injuries to Mark Kovacevic, Kerbatieh and Rielly O’Brien.
O’Brien hurt his ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return to the field after half time, Kerbatieh strained his hamstring in the
last quarter, while Kovacevic suffered concussion.
The injuries to O’Brien and Kovacevic meant the Cannons had to get creative in the ruck.
“Wright had the flu and we ummed and aaahed about playing him at all,” Jago said. “Normally, Wright, O’Brien and Kovacevic rotate through there, so we had to try other options in that position.
“Foster was competitive and we gave Tyson Young a run in the ruck, too.”
The Cannons face the Murray Bushrangers in Wangaratta this week.
