AFL Outer East 2021: Mt Evelyn thrashes Berwick Springs in Division 1

The Rovers explain why they couldn’t find room in the best players for a forward who kicked a bag full in their thumping win in AFL Outer East.

Michael Gibbons kicked 10 goals for Mt Evelyn. Picture: Faecbook

The message was crystal clear at halftime.

Mt Evelyn, leading Berwick Springs 107-30, could have been forgiven for cruising to the finish line with a comfortable win.

But Rovers coach Mark Fisher challenged his men to maintain their intensity, and even increase it, in the second half.

And they did.

Mt Evelyn kicked 19 goals in the last hour to win 35.20 (230) to 8.7 (55).

“The focus was to try and be ruthless in that space but still respect the opposition, respect the game and — in old fashioned terms — not take the piss,” Fisher said.

“And they went out and just went to work, they were really good.

“To have 55 scoring shots is no mean feat.”

Seven Rovers kicked multiple goals, with clever forward Michael Gibbons having a day out with 10 majors.

Jarrad Barden, Connor O’Sullivan, Kaleb Van Beek, Callum Urquhart and Bobby Hartfield all kicked four goals apiece, while Matthew Brierley kicked two.

Jack Beamish, Daimon Kift and Brierley were named Mt Evelyn’s three best players.

Mt Evelyn coach Mark Fisher. Picture: James Ross

Fisher defended the decision to leave Gibbons out of the top six best players listed.

“He finished a lot of good work, don’t get me wrong, he’s clever and he finished them,” Fisher said.

“It was a debate we had in the club rooms afterwards.

“I said, ‘well, he’s got on the end of it, he’s got to the right spots, but we had a lot of good work behind the ball and to get the ball there’.’’

Fisher said Gibbons was unfussed, more interested in his side’s success.

“I told him after the game, I said, ‘you know you played well don’t you?’,’’ Fisher said.

“He said, ‘yeah’. I said, ‘I’m not putting you in the best players.’ He said, ‘don’t care’.

“And that’s where they’re at, that’s the maturity of the group.”

Mt Evelyn fired off nine goals in the third quarter and 10 in the last as it sailed past 200 points.

Fisher paid respect to Berwick Springs, a club just starting out in senior footy.

But he said his side, which is 5-1 and in second spot, has “a window of opportunity” this season.

“I’ve had these boys for four years now, albeit one of them was a COVID year, and they’re just starting to get it,” he said.

“We’ve put some different structures forward of the ball and that seems to be working, hence the scoring.

“Everyone’s matured a little bit.

“I keep saying to the boys, I think they’ve realised they’ve got a window of opportunity that doesn’t come along very often so you’ve got to make the most of it while you can.”

Fisher said the club has vast depth, with seven or eight players in the twos knocking on the door of senior selection.

And the club is flushed with success, with every team in the club winning on Saturday — the under 19s, reserves, seniors, the women’s footy side won early in the morning and all four netball teams won.

“It was a great day for the club,” Fisher said.

Mt Evelyn hosts Gembrook Cockatoo on Saturday.