Calder Cannons disappointed but move on quickly from heavy NAB League defeat to Sandringham

Calder Cannons won’t dwell on a nightmare NAB League season-opening loss to Sandringham Dragons, confident the Round 1 performance was a blip on the radar.

Tye Browning in action for Calder Cannons last year.

Calder Cannons won’t dwell on its NAB League season-opening 109-point loss to Sandringham Dragons.

The Cannons had a nightmare at RSEA Park, kicking 1.12 and losing every statistic except rebound 50s and free kicks.

Coach Ross Smith said a host of factors contributed to the crushing defeat and was adamant his team were capable of contending this year.

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“We had to take ownership of the result,” he said.

“I was listening to Brad Scott’s review of the Kangaroos v Freo game this morning and there were a lot of similarities in that, in the sense that a lot of things didn’t go right and to pin-point one thing is probably the wrong way to go about it.

“Our physicality early, or lack of, the fact we were outmarked, the fact we were outrun, to identify one thing is wrong, it was a series of things and they compounded the next.

Calder Cannons coach Ross Smith.

“I don’t think we can say they’re a better side than us because I think we’re a much more competitive side than we showed and we need to see that against Oakleigh this week.”

Despite the heavy defeat, captain Brodie Newman stood tall across half-back with 24 disposals and nine marks while Tye Browning, Daniel Mott and Sam Ramsay had 19 touches apiece with Ramsay kicking the solitary goal.

Dragons won the inside 50 count 52-34 but Smith said unselfishness in front of goal led to missed chances.

“We could have made more of our chances when we did go forward,” he said.

“I think we rushed a few things, I think we were in really good positions for set shots and we tried to find another target.

“We missed a couple of those kicks and then rushed under pressure and they ended up being snaps rather than set shots.”

The Cannons face Oakleigh in Round 2, the Chargers coming off a comfortable win over Eastern Ranges.

Smith said after a quick review the focus would quickly turn to the Chargers.

“We’ll do a quick review and then put it to bed,” he said.

“We don’t want to carry the burden of that loss right throughout the week.

“We told our players not to dwell on it too much, just to learn from it, be disappointed but to park it.”