After a tight, but largely uninspiring, three quarters of football that saw the Bombers eke out a nine-point three-quarter time lead, the floodgates opened in the last quarter as the Blues tired badly. After Chris Heffernan goaled at the six-minute mark to effectively end the contest, the Bombers went on a goal spree to provide the best possible start to the new season.
While it was the forwards who capitalised at the end, it was the defence who can take much of the credit for the victory. Damien Hardwick, the much-maligned Dean Wallis (after a shaky start) and debutante Mark Johnson all had outstanding games. Elsewhere, James Hird started quietly before finding good form in the middle two quarters and got through the match unscathed, Mark Mercuri was classy when needed and Mark Fraser was close to best-on-ground as a running – and goalscoring – wingman.
At the start of the match, as expected, James Hird was picked up by Steve Silvagni, while Simon Beaumont was a surprise choice to stand Matthew Lloyd. Dean Wallis got the job on Carlton’s danger man Lance Whitnall.
The game began at a frantic pace, with clashes frequent and skill errors commonplace. As is almost customary in such heated battles, it was the silky-smooth skills of Mark Mercuri that stood out, latching on to a handball from Steve Alessio after a clever interception to slot home the first goal of the season from 30 metres.
Thereafter, however, it was pretty much Carlton’s first term. Matthew Allan was having the better of Alessio in the ruck, and Bradley, Ratten and Murphy were threatening across midfield. For all of that, the Blues failed to ram home their territorial advantage, missing a number of gettable goals. All their three first-quarter goals came from free kicks, the first two to Whitnall against Dean Wallis.
But the Bombers hung in there, despite being outplayed. 20 minutes in, Scott Lucas marked and goaled after a quick break out of defence to keep us in touch, and when Mark Fraser added a running goal late in the term, we went in only a point behind.
The tide turned in the second quarter, and the Bombers began to assume control. Goals became hard to come by for both sides, the Blues adding only 1.7 for the term. Once more it was Mercuri who stood out, a superb solo effort bringing the first goal of the term after he baulked one player, blind turned around another and slotted calmly from about 40 metres. Fraser added his second late in the term, but the half-time advantage was only three points.
The third term started with a Lloyd’s first goal of the campaign, inside the first minute. Blake Caracella added another a little later, but the rest of the quarter was an uninspiring war of attrition, that finished with the Bombers ahead by nine points.
Even by that stage, there were clear signs that players on both sides were tiring. Silvagni and Hird looked exhausted, and it was no surprise when they both started the final term at full-forward for their respective teams.
It was Hird who had the more immediate impact, marking cleverly and handballing to Scott Lucas for a goal inside the first minute. Five minutes later, Chris Heffernan goaled on the run and, even though the lead was then only 20 points, the contest seemed over.
And so it was. Lloyd added two more, and Bewick, Berbakov, Hird, Blumfield and Lucas all got in on the action to make the scoreboard exciting reading by the end.
Coach Kevin Sheedy said afterwards that he was particularly pleased to have notched up the win, given that the team was missing a number of players through injury and suspension.
"It also gives a real lift to our supporters, who must have spent a lot of the summer wondering what was going on," he said after the match.
Surprise of the night was the performance of Mark Johnson who, after more than 60 games in the reserves, looked entirely comfortable in defence in his first senior match. Hard at it and tough in the contests, Johnson’s performance only dropped off when he began to cramp. The other newcomer, Mark McVeigh, got a brief taste of the action.
Dean Wallis started shakily and gave away two goals through free kicks, but got better and better as the game went on, ending up in our best six. Mercs showed flashes of class, Joe Misiti picked up 27 touches and Mark Fraser was terrific on his wing, his pace regularly cutting a swathe through the Blues defence. Hardwick took up where he left off last year, and Hirdy’s effort (15 kicks, 10 handballs) was highly encouraging. The Likely Lads – Lloyd and Lucas – were both far from their best, but finished with three goals apiece.
All in all, a first up result we would gladly have taken if offered it before the match. In round two, we’ll be facing up to last year’s beaten Grand Finalists, North Melbourne. Look for our wrap-up of the entire round at the end of the weekend.
