IF it had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped the contest at quarter-time.
By Terry Wilson
What had usually been a tough local derby turned into a training drill on Saturday when Palm Beach-Currumbin steamrolled neighbours Burleigh by 24.16 (160) to 9.9 (63) at Bill Godfrey Oval.
PBC kicked 8.3 to 1.1 in the opening term, then led 12.10 to 2.2 at half-time. Another eight goals in the third quarter buried the listless Bombers.
“They were very good and they were too good across every line,” said beaten coach Zane Doubleday in acknowledgement of a side he rates every bit as good as Noosa.
“We had three or four players you could say were competitive and broke even in their positions.
“And we hoisted the white flag 10 minutes into the first quarter. That was very disappointing.”
Craig O’Brien was rapt with his Lions, who continue to emerge as a flag threat but who remain in fifth spot, still two wins out of a top-three finish for the finals.
“We were pretty good,” he said. “We knew a good start was important because looking at Burleigh’s past four or five weeks they were getting off to flyers.”
While it was class veteran James Drake and captain Angus Munro on a half-back who stole the thunder, O’Brien put in a case for exciting 16-year-old Nick Burton on a wing.
“He is probably the best kid I’ve seen in my 10 years up here,” said O’Brien. “He is hard at it, he has all the skills and he has pace.
“I wonder why he was not in the Queensland under-18 team. That must be a good side for this bloke not to be in it.”
Drake kicked four goals from centre half-forward, an individual haul matched by Blake Schneider and Brad Hewat.
But there were worries for the Lions as well.
Ruckman/forward David Round was sent off and reported for head-butting, co-captain Matt Carroll finished with a sore knee and Hewat a sore hamstring.
Burleigh’s best was centreman Matt Jamieson, who limped off late in the third term with an ankle injury.
Forward rover Nathan Sullivan (four goals) and midfielder Jacob Howell were two other Bombers to give it their best shot against the odds.
