NEWLY promoted Deer Park overcame a bruising return to Western Region Football League division 1 before recording a blow-out 90-point win over St Albans in season opening Friday night football at Kings Park Reserve.
The Lions made their transition from the second tier to the top flight look like a piece of cake as they piled on 19 goals to five after an arm wrestle opening term.
Lions co-coach Nick Condos says his side was prepared for everything the Saints would throw at them in the opening exchanges.
“First round is like a finals game,” he told the Weekly.
“You come up to division 1 and you’re expecting and hoping everything goes to plan and everything went our way today.
“You’ve got to try and ride out the storm, which we did, and we then were lucky enough to break the game open.”
Anyone who doubted the Lions could translate their white-hot form from division 2 last season into the big league should consider a rethink.
This Lions played with the same level of professionalism, they were more switched on and polished than the home side and have undoubtedly strengthened their main areas of need in the off-season.
The pick of the new recruits was mobile ruckman Chris Stewart, who crossed to the Lions from Essendon District Football League powerhouse Maribyrnong Park in the summer. Stewart is going to be a huge asset, giving first use of the ball to the crumbing brigade, using his big engine to get to contest after contest and having a strong pair of hands that will see him become one of the competition’s premier aerial threats.
Ben Foley was the other notable fresh face for the Lions.
The former Sunshine Kangaroos big-bodied midfielder fitted in seamlessly with his new teammates.
Key forward Bobby Micevski booted six goals for the Lions in a commanding performance, while captain Luke Summers and on-baller Graeme Catterall were never too far away from the base of the packs.
Rob Trajkovski was perhaps the best for the Lions until hobbling off with an ankle injury.
The booming left footer kicked a goal from five metres inside the centre square that cleared the goal umpire’s hat by a good 10 metres in the highlight of the game.
“He’s a super kick and a big occasion player,” Condos said.
“He’s as tough as a cat’s head.”
A deflated St Albans coach Ian Denny lamented his side’s errant ways with the ball.
He was, however, pleased with the endeavour of his players for most of the game.
“I think we just butchered the ball,” he said.
“We were pretty good at the contest and worked hard there.
“When we got it out in the open we turned it over, and you can’t turn it over against good players.”
The Saints, trailing by 31 points at half-time, controversially went down to 17 men for 15 minutes when Dale Marshall clashed with the Deer Park runner in an incident that could have further ramifications at the tribunal.
Denny was furious with the umpire’s decision to order Marshall off for 15.
Ash Craig produced a spirited display on the half-back line to be the standout for the Saints.
Small in stature but full of courage, Craig won the hard ball, repelled out of defence and did it for four quarters.
Dreadlocked teenager Max Sosnowski was an eye catcher for more than his out-there hair.
The stringy youngster never shied away from the contest, winning his fair share of one on ones in defence and providing drive out of the back half.
WRFL DIVISION 1: 2012 SEASON OPENER
St Albans 6.10 (46) lt Deer Park 21.10 (136).
St Albans – Goals: D. McKerracher 3, T. Jenkins, C. Brown , S. Gamble. Best: A. Craig, P. Dalinkiewicz, M. Sosnowski, C. Brown, J. Tuppen, R. Gashi. Deer Park – Goals: B. Micevski 6, C. Stewart 3, G. Daley 2, S. Buttigieg-Clarke 2, G. Catterall , L. Gestier , K. Klix , J. Condos , L. Cook , R. Trajkovski , D. Stankovic , L. Summers. Best: C. Stewart, B. Micevski, R. Trajkovski, D. Stankovic, L. Summers, B. Foley.
