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TIMES Sport
Roos try but
fall far short
AUSSIE RULES
MELBOURNE: Melbourne
overcame a competitive North
Melbourne with the help of emerg-
ing young stars to run out comfort-
able 70-point winners in
yesterday's Australian Football
League match at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground.
Led by 21-year-old Darren Cuthbert-
son, who kicked seven goals from a for-
ward pocket in only his fourth senior
appearance, the Demons had too many
options in attack and too much strength
around the packs for the Kangaroos, who
have lost their past three games.
Cuthbertson was supported by former
St Kilda forward Rod Owen, who kicked
five goals from his half-forward flank, but
it was the efforts of ruckman and acting
captain Jim Stynes that inspired the team
to equal its highest-ever score against
North Melbourne, winning 28.14 (182) to
17.10 (112) in front of a crowd of 22,928.
The high-scoring encounter started
with an even first quarter and both teams
were deadlocked at quarter time with 9.1
apiece.
But Melbourne gradually pulled away
from North in the second quarter and had
established a match-winning lead of 47
points at three-quarter time.
In the final quarter, North scored three
quick goals to draw closer to the Demons
but a six-goal burst in the last 11 minutes
punctured any hope the young Roos team
had of victory.
Melbourne, missing four experienced
players from last week's team, put enor-
mous responsibility on 23-year-old
Kevin Dyson, who played his third AFL
game in the centre and beat three oppo-
nents to end the match with 29 posses-
sions.
Dyson was continually in the midfield
action, typifying the Demons' spirit as
they brushed aside their lacklustre North
Melbourne opponents to work the ball
into the forward lines.
Melbourne also kept the Roos' for-
ward line quiet, containing key forwards
John Longmire, Wayne Carey and John
McCarthy after the first quarter.
Stynes, who collected 19 kicks, eight
marks, nine handballs, 14 hitouts and
one goal, rucked all day against North big
men Michael Gallagher and Darren Har-
ris and won against both.
Melbourne's coach, John Northey,
said several pleasing aspects had come
out of yesterday's game, including the
form of his experienced players, the in-
creasing fluency of his forward lines, and
the way in which Melbourne had contin-
ued its trend of killing off opposition late
in the game.
"With the experienced players we had
out of the side, the other fellows did very
well," Northey said. "After a very even
first quarter the boys knuckled down and
ran the ball."
Northey said yesterday's performance
showed the considerable depth at the
club.
North Melbourne's coach, Wayne
Schimmelbusch, said his players had giv-
en the ball away too easily although he
thought there had been a slight improve-
ment on their two previous perform-
ances.
"We probably got beaten around the
packs the same as we got beaten last week
and the week before," Schimmelbusch
said.
"I thought today it lasted a bit longer
but Melbourne were too good around the
packs and it was not until the last 15
minutes that we really fell apart."
The only highlights for the Kangaroos
were the efforts of on-ball players Peter
German and Anthony Rock, who worked
tirelessly to provide their team with some
spark around the ground.
Stynes gets his revenge
MELBOURNE: Melbourne ruckman
and acting captain Jim Stynes managed
to erase the humiliating memory of his
first match in that role for the club
during the 70 point win over North Mel-
bourne at the MCG.
Stynes said he was "fired up" for the
28.14 (182) to 17.10 (112) win by the
127-point drubbing against North in the
corresponding fixture last season when
he led the team for the first time.
"That game was a total humiliation
and I took a lot of responsibility for that
upon myself," Stynes said.
"I didn't want that to happen again
today and I told the boys that before the
game."
Stynes rucked all day, finishing with
28 possessions and 14 hit-outs, to pro-
vide the Demons with its central focus
around the ground.
Yesterday was only the third time the
vice-captain has led the team in the ab-
sence of Garry Lyon, who was sidelined
with a bruised buttock.
The other game was in Melbourne's
round three loss to St Kilda, when the
Demons were overran in the second half.
"It feels a lot better to come off the
ground having led your team to victory,"
the 199cm-tall Irish import said.
Stynes also paid tribute to the efforts
of emerging stars Darren Cuthbertson,
who scored seven goals, and Kevin Dy-
son, who won in the centre, as well as
the experienced former St Kilda forward
Rod Owen, who finished with five goals.
"The young boys have taken their
chance in the seniors and are really
showing the way with a lot of responsi-
bility," Stynes said.
Bulldogs mock Hawks
MELBOURNE: Footscray's fleet foot-
ed mid-fielders made a mockery of Haw-
thorn's running game with an 11-point
upset victory in yesterday's Australian
Football League match at Waverley.
It was only a nine-goal haul from Hawk
Jason Dunstall that gave Hawthorn any
chance of winning the game.
Hawthorn managed to get within four
points late in the final term but the match
was well and truly in the Bulldogs' taking
before rover Brian Royal kicked his fifth
major just before the final siren to get
Footscray 17.16 (118) to 16.11 (107).
Although less than two goals separated
the teams, Hawthorn coach Alan Joyce
conceded the final result had not done
Footscray justice.
He said. Dunstall's effort was brilliant
and had he been taken out of the match,
Hawthorn would have suffered greatly.
"It was an ordinary performance, we
didn't have much of the ball and we were
second to the ball," Joyce said.
"Take Dunstall, out of the game and
we would have struggled."
Midway through the third term, when
Dunstall all booted his eighth goal and
Hawthorn trailed by just eight points,
only three other players had contributed
to the score.
Footscray's luck probably began on the
training track on Friday night when for-
ward John Georgiades suffered a ham-
string strain and had to withdraw.
His replacement, Leon Cameron, one
of the finds of last year, was damaging on
a half-forward flank collecting more than
20 possessions.
Last year's Brownlow medallist, Tony
Liberatore, continues to amaze with his
ability to snare the ball out from the
bottom of a pack to a teammate in a
productive position.
Footscray's small men, who dominat-
ed most centre bounces, were well aided
by Scott Wynd who got the better of his
opponent Steven Lawrence.
Another bonus for the Bulldogs was the
teaming of veterans Brian Royal in the
forward pocket with Doug Hawkins, who
is in the middle of making the transition
from wingman to full forward.
The pair booted eight goals between
them and were desperate in their efforts
to keep the ball in attack at all times.
Footscray coach Terry Wheeler said
victory could have been bigger and real-
ised much sooner had the Bulldogs not
been so erratic in the final term booting
4.8.
"We are potentially better and our win
could have been better," Wheeler said.
"Our little men were very good and the
cream of it all was that we took hold of
our chances."
Hawthorn veteran Gary Ayres, Dun-
stall and rover John Platten worked tire-
lessly; all day but it was the absence of
running player Dean Anderson, Anthony
Condon and Darrin Pritchard which left
Hawthorn struggling.
Magpies escape
the Bears' den
MELBOURNE: Brisbane Bears lost no
admirers yesterday as they failed by just
22 points to fulfil one of the toughest
contracts in AFL football — a win against
Collingwood at Victoria Park.
The Bears more than had the Magpies'
measure in the first half and led by 18
points at half time.
This was largely due to the finesse of
forwards such as Brad Hardie, Shane
Hamilton and Cameron O'Brien who
made the most of their opportunities.
In stark contrast, the Magpies squan-
dered countless chances to kick goals and
made many disposal errors, even when
the pressure was not on.
John Gastev, assigned to tag Peter Dai-
cos, had the ultimate compliment paid to
him when Daicos was moved to a half
back flank in the first half.
But in typical fashion, Daicos came
back in the second half on the forward
line and was instrumental with three
goals in setting up the final 22 point victo-
ry — 16.19(115) to 14.9 (93).
Unfortunately, the Bears lost Gastev
for a period of the match after he suffered
a heavy knock and blurred vision.
But the Bears were persistent and
scooted away to a 37-point lead at the
nine-minute mark of the third quarter
when Hamilton kicked his fourth goal but
Collingwood added the next five to trail
by four points at three-quarter time.
The Magpies hit the lead by two points
four minutes into the last quarter courte-
sy of Daicos.
The Bears battled but were finally over-
run by the class and skill of the Magpies.
Bears coach Robert Walls said, "I was
proud of our players today. We had a go
and that was really satisfying for us."
He said his players had lost the plot a
little in the last quarter when they were
under pressure and tired.
He said, "We want a win, we are des-
perate for a win. Today was a game effort
but in the end there was no result.
"I think today we were much better
than we were against Geelong last week.
Certainly we came away from it without
any points but we've made progress."
Walls singled out ruckman Alex Ish-
chenko and former Footscray player Mi-
chael McLean for special praise.
Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews
said a lot of players played below their
best in the first half, although he thought
his team dominated everywhere but on
the scoreboard.
"We're not playing anywhere near our
best of last year, but I always say which
match are you talking about. We were
very ordinary some days last year.
"The match was getting to be out of our
grasp so to come away with a win after
being six goals down, we're pretty happy
to have won."
Matthews said Craig Kelly, who suf-
fered a hamstring injury early in the
game, would not be available for Thurs-
day's Anzac Day match against Mel-
bourne at VFL Park.
And he would wait to assess the form of
premiership wingman Graeme Wright,
who has spent the past two games in the
reserves, before deciding whether to pro-
mote him.
Matthews was pleased with the first
game of Mark Richardson who came on
after half time.
"He kicked three goals and gave us a
target after half time. I thought his per-
formance was very creditable on a day
when the side was struggling," Matthews
said.
• MELBOURNE: For Collingwood's
comeback captain Tony Shaw the final
siren signalled time for a well-earned bath
followed by a rub-down from his favour-
ite trainer.
To say that he had earned it playing
against Brisbane Bears at Victoria Park
#yesterday afternoon is an understate-
ment.
The Magpie skipper, playing only his
second game after ankle surgery, gathered
52 possessions — 28 kicks and 22 hand-
balls — and was the reason Collingwood
got out of jail against a far more competi-
tive Bears side than the team that suc-
cumbed to Geelong at the Gabba last
week.
Shaw declined any media attention af-
ter the match but opposition coach Rob-
ert Walls said it all.
"A player like Tony Shaw was terrific.'
He just took control and used the ball
well.
He was very very good."
Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews
was equally effusive in his praise of Shaw.
"Shawy is remarkable given his lack of
preparation. His mind forces his body to
do things he is not ready to do," Matthews
said.
$