EDFL 2019: Moonee Valley kicks 11 final-quarter goals in win over Jacana

After back-to-back defeats to start the EDFL Division 2 season, Moonee Valley delivered an awe-inspiring display in the last term of Saturday’s fixture against Jacana.

Moonee Valley's Rocky Ferraro has 19 goals from three games this season. Picture: Josie Hayden

What a response from Moonee Valley.

After back-to-back defeats to start the EDFL Division 2 season, the Fog found itself 11 points in front of a plucky Jacana at three-quarter-time on Saturday.

But a game which was in the balance soon turned into a rout as Moonee Valley piled on 11 goals in an awe-inspiring final-term blitz to power to a 67-point victory, 19.15 (129) to 9.8 (62).

“It was one of those games where they scrapped and scrapped and we just couldn’t break away and mistakes were costing us,” coach Shanon Carroll said.

“They seemed to have the match-ups right, so in the last quarter I changed things around a bit, but when I spoke to the guys at three-quarter-time I told them why we were changing it.

“The belief just grew and the floodgates opened.

“We started running a bit harder both ways and stopped making silly errors that have cost us over the past couple of weeks.”

Moonee Valley coach Shanon Carroll. Picture: Josie Hayden

The Fog dominated the midfield exchanges and capitalised on the scoreboard to sit in fourth position after four rounds with a 1-2 record.

Cory McGrath and Luke Ryan were influential in the middle of the ground, Luke Egan starred in the ruck and Corey Martin restricted Cameron Cloke to two majors.

Rocky Ferraro was again dangerous in the attacking 50, kicking four goals from 10 shots to take his season tally to 19.

With Moonee Valley securing some of its key recruits late in pre-season and not having the smoothest build up to the campaign, Carroll said the contender needed to be patient.

“We’re probably two weeks behind where everyone else is,” he said.

“We didn’t have much of a practice match lead in because of sides pulling out on us and then we had the bye in Round 1.

“I don’t think we’re really going to settle down until Round 7 or 8.

“I had to do a bit of a self-assessment during the week and make sure what I was doing I believed in myself so I could portray that across to the players.

“Everything just came to fruition in that last quarter. It was phenomenal.”

Moonee Valley will meet last year’s runner-up East Sunbury this weekend.

In Division 1, East Keilor remained undefeated after a hard-fought 16-point victory over Hillside, 15.11 (101) to 12.13 (85).

Nathan Lyons, Josh Grabowski and James Carey led the way for the Cougars, while Dion Hill bagged five goals.

East Keilor will next host winless Oak Park.

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