Sport
1 May, 2023
Fast-starting kings Newstead take big scalp in big boost to their finals aspirations
Newstead made a major statement of intent on Saturday, recording a 20-point win over Navarre. It was another strong start from the Kangaroos which allowed them to control play — which is fast be-coming a facet of their season so far. The Kangaroos...
Newstead made a major statement of intent on Saturday, recording a 20-point win over Navarre.
It was another strong start from the Kangaroos which allowed them to control play — which is fast be-coming a facet of their season so far.
The Kangaroos kicked four goals to one to open proceedings on Saturday to take a 19-point cushion into the first break.
Navarre started to make their move in the second quarter, and were providing some great opportunities, but while they added three goals, Newstead kept their noses in front by adding two more to take a 12-point lead at the main break.
The third quarter was a beauty. In all, nine goals were scored, but it was Newstead who continued to dictate the direction of the game. They kicked five goals, while Navarre added four, to re-establish their 19-point lead.
In comparison, the last quarter was a scrap, but the Kangaroos did what they needed to do to take their second victory of the season, with one goal apiece in the last seeing Newstead finish 20-point victors.
Tyler James was the hero for Newstead, kicking five goals for the afternoon, while Jovian Goulton, James Mitchelhill, Alex Murphy, Cordie McKendry and Harrison Harbrow were also named in the best.
Cody Driscoll kicked four goals for the day to lead the line for Navarre, and was ably supported by Angus Barham, Billy Driscoll, Ash Driscoll, Bill Marshman, David Kirtley and Jayden Fowkes.
Newstead playing-coach Joel Smith was elated with the result, continuing their strong start to the season.
“We’ve probably shown that we have a bit of improvement in us. We’re happy with the result — Navarre are a good team. At the start of the day, I thought it’d go either way,” he said.
“Truth be told, we had our sights set on finishing in the top five or six. That’s not to say we will — we know it is a challenge and there are a lot of other teams that will try to push for that spot too.
“We kind of felt like we wanted to set the bar high for us this season and set high standards. So far, 2-1, I would have taken that at the start of the year.”
While the Kangaroos are becoming the kings of the fast start, Smith said that catching opponents on the hop and holding on to a lead wasn’t part of their DNA.
“It’s a funny one. We go out with the focus to start better than the opposition of course, but it’s not like we start quick and hold on at the end,” he said.
“The Lexton game saw us get out to a flyer and we were a bit stiff not to hang on there, but we had another good start on Saturday which saw us keep Navarre at arm’s length.
“We’ve probably got ourselves a fair bit fitter, to be honest. We’re trying to work harder than the opposition and we caught Navarre off guard a bit. The first 10 minutes, they dominated, and then we pegged it back towards the end of the quarter.
“The first three games could have gone either way, knowing Talbot, Lexton and Navarre’s recent records. Two of them played finals and were around the mark.”
Smith said he’s been impressed by consistent performers across the first three rounds, including James, McKendry and Aidan McConachy.
“Tyler James has been awesome. He’s kicked 12 goals for us in the first three games and he gives you so much. Alongside Adam Pollock up forward, they’ve been working well, and Todd Delaney has given us another option on the weekend,” he said.
“Last year, we felt like we had enough of the ball, but we don’t make the most of our opportunities up forward. Tyler doesn’t miss a lot, and he’s been really good. “Cordie McKendry and Aidan McConachy have been really good. They train every single week. Cordie was almost best on ground for us again on Saturday. We’re heading in the right direction.”
Smith has been assisted by Castlemaine legend Derrick Filo so far in his early coaching tenure, something he says has helped the Kangaroos greatly with the communication levels.
“Derrick coached me when I had a couple of seasons with Castlemaine. We had a prior connection, but he was keen to get back into footy again. He hadn’t been in there since he was there,” he said.
“He’s been fantastic for me. It would have been pretty hard going in, but we’ve had a nice fresh start. Derrick has brought a bit of that himself. He’s brought plenty to the bench, along with a couple of other guys that help out every single week.”
The Kangaroos now travel to Avoca this week, but Smith isn’t keen to look too far ahead, knowing the Bulldogs are a different proposition at home.
“We now have Avoca this week. That’s always a tricky game. If we go there and lose that, it puts you back a peg, so we are taking it week by week as well,” he said.
