Sport / Football
Undermanned NOBs are Kew’s whipping boys
Brunswick NOBs 5.7 (37) lost to Kew 33.20 (218) at Gillon Oval
Tim Purdey
A severely depleted Brunswick confronted a red-hot Kew at Gillon Oval on Saturday and the consequences were brutal, with the Bears kicking one of their highest-ever scores on the way to a 30-goal annihilation.
With their playing stocks decimated by injury and travel, the NOBs needed to call upon five players from the reserves and Under 19s to double-up among nine changes from the previous week’s team. This against a full-strength Kew side priming themselves for finals and on the march towards promotion to Premier C: it was never going to be a fair fight.
The best thing that can be said about the game from a Brunswick perspective was they won the toss and kicked with a strong wind in the first quarter.
That didn’t prevent the Bears from registering the opening three majors, but one of four NOBs’ debutants on the day – Daniel Clough – then scored a goal with his first kick in senior football, after getting on the end of long Tom Wilson kick to the goal square.
Soon after, Tom Wilson kicked Brunswick’s second goal courtesy of an excellent Marcus Foti pass to get within 15 points but that was as close as it would be for the duration of the match.
The second and third terms were a one-way procession. Kicking with the wind in the second, Kew registered 7.7 to 0.3, but after half-time the wind had switched to blowing across the ground and the Bears found it easier to score at the Pearson Street end, with an incredible 14.5 to 0.0.
In the last quarter, the home supporters finally had something to cheer about as Jackson Davis broke the goal-scoring drought at the five-minute mark after receiving a nice pass from Jesse Doherty, before he followed it up with his second not long later with a snap from the top of the goal square. Kew kept on piling on the pain at the other end, but amid that Marcus Foti slotted a well-deserved major from 45 metres out.
Jackson Davis was Brunswick’s best, with his class showing out on a torrid afternoon. Another positive was the return of Jasper Paevere, who provided a marking target in his first full game in nearly two years. Mitch McCombe continues to improve after being promoted to the seniors a few weeks ago, while Tahj Haddock and Jackson Browne battled hard in defence. Jesse Doherty also showed plenty of fight.
With a number of players expected to return this week, the NOBs need to dust themselves off for the trip south to face Oakleigh, who are looking to consolidate a spot in the final four.
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