Sport / Football
Bloodbath at Brens Oval
Brunswick NOBs 25.8 (158) defeated UHS-VU 6.15 (52) at Brens Oval
Tim Purdey
It was a bloodbath at Brens Oval on Saturday as Brunswick NOBs reprised the glory days at their old home ground with a 106-point thrashing of UHS-VU in a complete, four-quarter performance.
In ideal conditions for football, Brunswick were surgical in the way they carved up a team that is a shadow of the one who defeated them twice last year, dominant in the contest and moving the ball with precision to an incredibly accurate forward line.
The first quarter played out like a dream after Tom Wilson got things started with a major at two minutes, followed by fellow key forward Darcy Heenan, then Angus Ross, all from dead-eye set shots.
After 10 minutes, the Vultures got their first, but a two-goal margin was as close as they would get for the rest of the day.
Ben Wilson quickly answered with a snap out of a pack; Joe Gale kicked his first; Ross slotted his second; then, Ben Young took advantage of a 50m penalty to make it seven goals straight. UHS dragged one back, but the NOBs weren’t finished for the term, with Tom Wilson and Joe Gale both scoring again, and it was 9.0 to 2.3 at the first break.
Brunswick’s day out in front of the big sticks continued in the second term, as they extended their scoreline to 13.0, through Young, Jackson Davis, Heenan and Liam Allman. The sequence was finally broken by a behind at the 20-minute mark, but Gale’s third (from a snap around his body) and Davis’ second, meant the NOBs went into half-time leading by a cool 68 points.
After such a brilliant first half, the focus of Brunswick’s coaches was on seeing the effort maintained for four quarters, which they got.
The hard-running Gabe Banova kicked the opener in the third term, followed by Tyla Adamson’s first senior goal, Gale’s fourth for the day, Allman’s second, Heenan’s third, then Tom Wilson’s third on the three-quarter time siren, to make it 21.6 to 5.10.
Chasing a triple-figure margin in the final quarter, Tom Wilson slotted his fourth before Dom Oswald snapped one to extend the lead to 99 points. Tom Wilson capped off his day with a fifth on the run, before Oswald kicked his second for the term to ensure a final margin of 106 points.
On a day when all players contributed, it was Big Ben Young who stood out as he completely dominated the ruck, clunked his marks, and kicked goals. Tom Wilson and ‘The Prez’ Joe Gale were excellent forward targets, while Marcus Foti provided endless run of half-back and Will Kempt was impassable in defence.
Jacob Dwyer had his best game for the club, while Angus Ross, Ben Wilson and Gabe Banova were prolific in the midfield.
Back at Gillon Oval this Saturday, a tough test awaits Brunswick in the form of fourth-placed Oakleigh.
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