Deer Park delivered an emphatic reminder of the threat it poses in Western Region Football League division 1 this season with a merciless 70-point annihilation of St Albans at John McLeod Oval on Saturday.
The Lions, five-time defending premiers, had not hit their high notes prior to the interleague break, but they were back to their devastating best in a rampaging win over hapless Saints trying to find their feet with a new-look side.
Lions’ coach Marc Bullen was delighted with how his side responded after the break.
“I told the guys, the first five rounds were our warm-up and we needed to take that next step,” he said. “To beat a side that has recruited heavily and probably would’ve fancied themselves today was outstanding.
“Across the board, we didn’t have a bad player at all – it was a really comprehensive, commanding win. We should’ve probably won by another 10 goals.”
All that stood in the way of Deer Park and a triple-figure win was inaccurate kicking. The Lions registered 41 scoring shots for just 19 goals.
The most impressive aspect for the Lions was their ability to win big in the absence of star ruckman Chris Stewart.
Scott Greenhough stepped up in a big way and marshalled the Lions to victory.
“Scott Greenhough was just outstanding,” Bullen said. “From minute one to minute 120, he dominated. It was a massive step in the right direction for the young fella.”
The Lions kicked four or more goals in every quarter, Jase Perkins leading the way with five and Shannon Brynes and Spiros Amarantidis kicking four apiece.
It all started in the engine room for the Lions, where Jack Purton-Smith, Kwame McHarg and Dyson Stevens dominated.
“We had some really good transitions of play and our spread from stoppages was outstanding,” Bullen said. “Our ability to use the ball through the corridor was really good.”
Paul Bower’s influence on the wing was huge, while the negating role of Tim Knight on
St Albans’ star Ben Said was a big factor.
The victory might have come at a severe cost for Deer Park.
Lions veteran Ryan Houlihan sustained a serious knee injury that has the potential to end his season and perhaps bring down the curtain on a glittering career.
If the worst case scenario is revealed and Houlihan, 36, faces 12 months of rehabilitation, it is likely to be the last we have seen of him on a football field.
“We’ve got to all cross our fingers and toes and hope it’s not the worst possible outcome, but it didn’t look great,” Bullen said.
Meanwhile, Sunshine Kangaroos enjoyed a runaway 37-point win over Hoppers Crossing at Kinder Smith Reserve.
Leading by 11 points at three-quarter time, the desperate Kangaroos piled on five goals to one in the last quarter for their second win of the season.
Luke O’Callaghan was named best-on-ground for Sunshine, while Liam Cavanagh led the way in attack with three goals.
After a competitive showing early, Albion faded to a 53-point loss to Spotswood, while Caroline Springs was competitive for a half before going down by 50 points to ladder leader Spotswood.
In division 2, Albanvale lost to Yarraville-Seddon by 128 points.
