Jase Perkins delved deep into his box of tricks in a best-on-ground performance for Deer Park in Saturday’s 55-point thumping of Hoppers Crossing in the second Western Region Football League division 1 grand final re-match of the season at John McLeod Oval.
In years past, Perkins has kicked 100 goals in a season and been a spearhead forward at Victorian Football League level, but he showed his value to the Lions can be weighed in more than just goals.
Sure, Perkins kicked three goals during an eight-goal-to-nil first quarter blitz and finished with four for the day, but it was his stymieing efforts in defence in the last quarter that proved most valuable.
With Hoppers Crossing wanting to make one final push with the aid of a howling six-goal wind, they found it hard to find a way past Perkins, who hardly let the visitors in.
“He was really up and about,” Lions coach Marc Bullen said.
“He was a real focal point early, but we ended up playing him behind the ball in the last quarter and he controlled the game when Hoppers had the breeze.”
Deer Park still appears to have a psychological edge over Hoppers Crossing stemming from last year’s grand final.
For the second time this season, the Lions have run away from the Warriors in the last quarter, despite kicking into a strong breeze.
The Lions out-scored Hoppers Crossing four goals to three in the last term, despite not a single goal having been kicked at that end in the previous three quarters.
“I spoke to the players at three-quarter time and said we had to defend like our lives depended on it,” Bullen said.
“With a six-goal breeze favouring Hoppers Crossing, to out-score them four goals to three was a super effort, so I couldn’t be prouder of the boys at the moment.”
Deer Park had a nice spread of goalkickers to compliment Perkins, with Shannon Byrnes snaring three goals and Jake McKenzie and Kwame McHarg booting two each.
Mobile talls Chris Stewart and Scott Greenhough were again influential, but the continued emergence of Tim Sullivan in the midfield is the talking point in the Lions’ den.
Already one of the deepest midfields in the competition, Sullivan’s presence over the past month has been so valuable.
“He’s jumped the queue, he’s a starting midfielder now and hopefully he can continue to add a different dimension,” Bullen said.
“Most of our onballers are sharp inside-outside runners, but ‘Sully’ just does all the grunt work for everyone.”
Deer Park remains a game and percentage clear on top of the ladder.
The Lions will welcome back Ryan Houlihan, a player with more than 200 games, when they face an inconsistent, but dangerous Werribee Districts at Soldiers Reserve on Saturday.
Elsewhere in division 1, Sunshine Kangaroos moved back up to third with a 47-point win over Werribee Districts at Kinder Smith Reserve.
St Albans came home strong against Spotswood, kicking five goals to nil in the last term, but lost narrowly by nine points.
Caroline Springs was outplayed after quarter-time in a 57-point loss to Altona at Grant Reserve, while Albion cruised to a 44-point win over Wyndhamvale.
