New Western Magpies coach Jarrod Thorpe went within a whisker of receiving the best birthday present imaginable in his first game at the helm against the Brisbane Lions Reserves today.
Saturday 29 May 2010
New Western Magpies coach Jarrod Thorpe went within a whisker of receiving the best birthday present imaginable in his first game at the helm against the Brisbane Lions Reserves today.
Slaughtered by the same opposition at their previous two meetings – one just four weeks ago – the Magpies drew to within two points of the Lions 12 minutes into the last quarter and an upset of monumental proportions was brewing.
But the Lions steadied under extreme pressure and their greater composure and fitness helped them eke out a 16.14 (110) to 14.6 (90) victory.
The Magpies stuck to a revamped game plan and harassed the Lions throughout, never falling behind by any more than three goals.
The final score was their fourth highest since rejoining the State League at the start of last year and their biggest in 2010.
“One of our real focuses this week was on kicking goals – you have to kick goals to win games,” said Thorpe, the former Mt Gravatt assistant who was only appointed early this week.
Thorpe made some changes to the forward structure, using State squad member Luke Scott as a wide-roaming centre-half-forward, placing the athletic Chris Hunt at full-forward, and giving Jye Spencer an opportunity as a goalkicking forward pocket.
Each did his job, with Scott presenting a constant target, Hunt pulling in several contested marks, and Spencer relishing his chance to boot five goals.
Thorpe also elevated well-performed but on occasions erratic star junior James Pennycuick to a wing, and he responded with half a dozen inside 50 entries and a raking long bomb goal in the last quarter surge.
With Gerard Moore providing an armchair ride for his onfield brigade in the absence of white-hot Lions ruckman Broc McCauley and another State squad member Ed McDonnell blocking plenty of opposition attacks, the Magpies made life hard for the Lions on the small confines of Giffin Park, Coorparoo.
Demoted senior player Andrew Raines cut loose in the first half with 23 possessions and helped set up the Lions’ 12-point halftime lead, but even the supplementary list players came to the party for the Magpies, with teenager Alex Kitchener locking down on Raines in the final hour.
“They was absolutely terrific – they did everything I asked of them and a bit more,” Thorpe said of his new team.
“We talked during the week about our journey of change and it is well on its way.”
