Northcote Park jumps up NFL Division 1 ladder with big win over Macleod
Northcote Park has taken a major step towards NFL Division 1 safety with a big win over Macleod despite a deepening injury crisis.
Northern
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Northcote Park took a major step towards safety on Saturday with a stirring 47-point win over Macleod at Bill Lawry Oval.
However, the Cougars are once again dealing with a spate of injuries that threaten to derail their season.
The hosts jumped out to a 33-point half-time lead but lost Jordan Perry (dislocated knee cap) and Jordan Schroder (knee) to injury.
A calf strain ended Josh Byron’s day but a six-goal-to-three second half delivered a 12.12 (84) to 5.7 (27) victory to lift Northcote Park to eighth on the NFL Division 1 ladder.
Reed Jepson and Matt Perry both suffered ankle injuries last week and are expected to miss multiple weeks.
Despite the injury crisis, Cougars coach Steve Saddington was rapt with his team’s ability to keep fighting.
“It had been coming, the week before against Montmorency we had our chances and against Heidelberg we pushed them to three-quarter-time,” he said.
“We came into the game confident we could get a result and it panned out that way from the start, I felt we controlled the game from the first bounce.
“We were pretty hell bent on getting some reward, things have been going well we just needed a result.”
Ben McNiece produced arguably his best game of the season to inspire Northcote Park.
The former AFL defender was prolific in midfield after Perry and Schroder went down, helping settle his teammates and delivering pinpoint passes to his forwards.
Michael Amad was the main beneficiary, booting a season-high five goals, while Matt D’Angelo kicked three and Alex Boyse two in a three-pronged attack.
In defence, Daniel Tallariti blanketed Kangas dangerman Reid Brandt and Jack Sammartino impressed in midfield.
“Ben McNiece’s game was unbelievable and Michael Amad had his best game for the club since I’ve been involved,” Saddington said.
“He was off half-back in the first half but when our midfielders went down … Ben tells me where he needs to play sometimes.
“We’ll start him at half-back because he thinks he can operate in the game a bit better, he’s the classiest player in our side – when everyone else is panicking he can hit a target and calm everyone down.
“Michael’s been kicking one or two every week but he was awesome, he was making everything that came his way, and was the dominant forward on the ground.”
It’s the Cougars’ third win of the season, two of which have come against Macleod.
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The club is now a game clear of Hurstbridge and percentage ahead of Whittlesea in the relegation battle and face Saddington’s former club North Heidelberg at Shelley Reserve on Saturday.
Back-to-back matches against Whittlesea and Hurstbridge in rounds 15 and 16 will decide who makes the drop back to Division 2.
Jacob Walker was named Macleod’s best in defeat with Brad Leggett, Jose Miliado and Anthony Docherty also standing tall.
The Kangas will look to bounce back and keep in touch with the top five when it travels to Hurstbridge on Saturday.
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