WESTERN Magpies hit the ground running to set up a convincing 80-point win over Coolangatta at Len Peak Oval on Sunday.
By Terry Wilson
The success, by 25.17 (167) to 12.15 (87) lifted the Magpies to second spot on the ladder, level on 40 points with Sandgate in the race for that precious top-three finish for the finals.
Any hopes Coolangatta may have been harbouring about a home-0ground upset were hammered by the Magpies withering first term which produced 7.5 to 0.4 and effectively killed off the match as a contest.
A second quarter of 5.2 to 5.1 thwarted the chance of a Coolangatta comeback before a second half that produced 13.10 to 6.10.
The Magpies had some heavy artillery firing up front.
In-again out-again seniors selection Brandon Morris killed the Blues with a dominant display on a half-forward flank that netted him nine goals. And big David Hamill chipped in six.
“He’s a very dangerous player,” said Magpies coach Peter McClennan of Morris, hardly a regular in his club’s 22 first-graders each week but who surely has cemented a permanent spot for the next month or so.
“He’s the sort of player we expect the unexpected from – and he has a booming right foot kick.”
Blake McClennan and Ben Heffernan-Roper, who controlled the midfield, also shone for the Magpies who, once they got their fast-forward machine into overdrive, were way too classy for the Blues.
Coolangatta coach Neil Mackay was happy with the way his side started, but it lasted only five minutes before the Magpies fed off a scoreboard advantage and put the foot down.
“The first five minutes was good, we were up and going, but once the Magpies got that scoreboard going, bang, away they went,” said Mackay.
Coolangatta, who were hurt by an early knee injury sustained by key playmaker Sam Carins, had full-back Mark Greeney, captain Daniel Hawkins when he was on the ball, and wingman Andrew Boyce as their best.
