Watsonia hammers Panton Hill, continues high-scoring start to season
Watsonia is the only team in NFNL Division 2 to break 100 points in each of the first two rounds after racking up a win over Panton Hill.
Northern
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Look out, Watsonia is on the attack.
The Saints made it an impressive two-from-two to begin the NFNL Division 2 season on Saturday with a thumping 95-point win over Panton Hill at Cracknell Reserve.
They are the only team to crack 100 points in both games following a 60-point win over Lower Plenty in Round 1.
George Lattouf’s men have scored 255 points – most in the competition – and sit second on the ladder just 3.89 per cent behind premiership favourite Eltham.
Off-season recruit Blake Charles sits atop the league goalkicking charts with eight majors, while James Lucente and Adrian Alfonsi are also in the top five.
Making the 22.15 (147) to 6.16 (52) win more meritorious, the Saints were severely hampered by injury.
“We played some good footy, we did, very proud of our boys,” Lattouf said.
“After the first quarter we were already down to two on the bench and we ended the third quarter with one on the bench.
“It just showed our endurance and mind-set as a team, never giving up for four quarters of football, it was very impressive.
“We’re multi-skilled in our team, we made sure in the pre-season players that came into the senior side could play more than one position.
“It gives us a lot of flexibility when the situation arises if someone gets injured we can relocate somebody to where they’ve been training in pre-season.”
Charles has been a key contributor since shifting from Montmorency, where he won the Division 1 reserve grade goalkicking award last season.
The key forward has booted four goals in each game and proved himself a senior footballer after struggling to break into the strong Magpies line-up.
“Blake has settled in really well alongside Jacob Pickett, Adrian Alfonsi and James Lucente,” Lattouf said.
“He’s had a big pre-season and is playing his role.
“He loves those (highlight reel) goals, he loves kicking one or two of those a game and he loves celebrating too – and that’s what I want our players to do, enjoy the game.”
Young ruckman Corey Potter was best afield for the Saints in the win, controlling the middle of the ground and giving his midfielders first use.
Josh Boulton, Adrian Alfonsi (four goals), Riley Taylor and Teague and Kobe van Zwienen also impressed.
For Panton Hill, Brayden Callaway, Tom Keys and Josh Callaway were best in defeat, while Riley Livingstone kicked two goals in his debut.
Watsonia returns to Binnak Park in Round 3 to host St Mary’s.
The Burras are chasing their first win of the season and Lattouf expects a tough challenge.
“They’re one of our rivalries, we always have good games against St Mary’s,” he said.
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“We’re looking forward to getting back to Binnak Park and the boys are ready for it.”
Panton Hill is also looking to snare its first win of 2023 and travels to Bill Lawry Oval to face Northcote Park.
Elsewhere in Division 2, the Cougars were 46-point winners over Lower Plenty and South Morang continued its perfect start with a 23-point win over Thomastown.
Eltham crushed St Mary’s by 93 points and Diamond Creek also made it two-from-two with a 51-point triumph over Epping.
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