Morningside 1.1,  8.4,  11.7,  18.12  (120)
defeated
Broadbeach 2.5,  4.7,  7.11,  10.12  (72)

Morningside is back where they belong; winning games of footy in September.

They wound back the clock today in their 48-point win over Broadbeach, linking up well, using it superbly by foot, and getting on the outside of the Cats, to run away with it.

Though the scoreboard did blow out a little in the end, it was much closer than it suggested. In fact, Broadbeach were all over the Panthers in the first quarter.

Their pressure around the ball was through the roof, they were running hard, and their pace was hard to stop.

Josh Searl was the most dangerous player on the ground all day for the Cats. His work rate was through the roof.

Problem was, they weren’t converting. There was at least three very easy goals that went begging, and you just knew it was going to come back to hurt them at some stage.

At quarter time, the Cats were 10-points up.

Before you could blink, the Panthers ate into that lead in the second quarter, courtesy of Adam McDonald, who was very lively all day.

In the space of two-minutes, they went from the hunted, to the hunters.

Russ was under every single pack, and Kinch was blistering on the outside.

Morningside kicked the first five goals of the quarter, before Taylor Haley kicked two in a minute to bring the Cats back within nine-points.

But, like good teams do, when the Cats threw everything they had at them the Panthers wrestled back control through goals to Abey and Lundie-Jenkins just before the half time siren.

Morningside found the perfect mix of inside and outside work. They weren’t overcommitting to the contested ball, which allowed them to spread and bust the game open when they won the ball.

Broadbeach came out of the gates better in the second half, finding that run and pressure that won them the first quarter again.

When Dienjes goaled at the 15-minute mark, they got within nine-points.

But that was as close as they would get for the rest of the day.

Morningside slowed the game down late in the third, looked after it by foot, and bided their time before unleashing their wave of runners forward when it was time to go.

At the last change, the Panthers were 20-points ahead.

Goals to Kinch, the best player on the ground all day by a country mile, and Delbridge in the first part of the quarter all but put the nail in the coffin of Broadbeach’s 2015 season.

As the sting went out of the game, Morningside kicked away to run out 48-point winners.

The highlight of the day was watching the big men go to work. Kent Abey moved like a 25 year old today. He didn’t look like dropping anything all afternoon; it was just his kicking that let him down.

Down the other end, Taylor Hayley bagged six goals, the shinning light for the Cats today.

Today’s performance was the Morningside we expected two weeks ago when these teams met. They showed if they are allowed the time and space to link up, run in waves, and propel forward, they will hurt you.

Now their attention turns to the Western Magpies next Sunday.

Coach’s thoughts:
David Lake – Morningside

“I felt it was a bit more tougher doing down the hill, but I was happy early. We were working hard, our enthusiasm was good, we just had to keep working until it opened up.

“Once that ‘reboundathon’ opened up, we were able to get on the outside.

“There were less skill errors, and more care about how we got it to the next bloke.

“It was a very good team defensive effort.”

Brett Andrews – Broadbeach

“In the second they tried to hand us the game and we didn’t take it.

“They got numbers back, and we couldn’t adapt to their play.

“They are a well drilled, experienced team, and we played their game, they took us away from our game, and then we became the Broadbeach of old not the Broadbeach of new.

“The pressure, the run, that was what we did well in the first, but missing three sitters doesn’t help. We never mounted scoreboard pressure.”

By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles