Southern league: Sam Lewin plays a blinder for Bentleigh in win over Dingley

Bentleigh coach Peter Pirera poured praise on Sam Lewin after his performance against Dingley in the Southern league.

Sam Lewin played a blinder for the Demons. Pic: Bentleigh FNC

“One of the best individual games I’ve seen,’’ Bentleigh coach Peter Pirera fizzed after his co-skipper Sam Lewin’s dominating performance against Dingley.

Lewin hauled in 18 marks and kicked three goals as his team pulled off a 17-point win over the previously undefeated Dingoes in the Division 1 match at Bentleigh Reserve on Saturday.

The Demons had the game in their keeping at three-quarter time when they led 10.11 to 3.4.

The final score was 10.14 (73) to 7.14 (56).

Lewin had played in defence in the previous round against Cheltenham but the Demons shifted him forward against Dingley and he would have filled a bag but for some inaccurate kicking for goal. He finished with 3.6.

“He could have kicked six or seven, quite easily,’’ Pirera said.

“His marking was pretty amazing. He monstered everyone who played on him.

“We put him back in the last quarter and he still clunked half a dozen.

“He played a pretty serious game.

Luke Nankervis of Bentleigh.

“Young Lukey Nankervis would have been best-on in any normal game. But the game Sam Lewin played was out of this world, one of the best individual games I’ve ever seen.’’

Pirera joked of Lewin: “He knows nothing about footy. He just plays it very well’.’

Nankervis is a bright prospect with the Sandringham Dragons and is playing at Bentleigh while the NAB League Boys competition takes a break.

He made his debut last week and showed out against strong opposition.

“I don’t want to wrap him up too much but he’s got awareness like Robbie Flower had,’’ Pirera said.

“He draws players to him and actually lets them tackle him and he still gets his handball away. He’s got this awareness where he knows what’s coming from every angle. He gets a hard ball, he’s good on the inside, he’s good on the outside, he’s unbelievable in the air.’’

Fellow newcomer Josh Mackie also slotted three goals.

With Lewin playing forward, the experienced Hudson Thomas played in defence, taking Dan Farmer, who kicked two goals.

Pirera thought his team got the better of the Dingoes with “pressure around the footy and maintaining the structures we’ve been working really hard on’’.

“It’s been working in games but only for a quarter or a quarter-and-a-half. We couldn’t string four quarters together.

“Yesterday we put together three-and-a-half quarters. It was a huge effort.’’

He said any Bentleigh player not featured on the list of best could himself unlucky.

“It was a very even effort with two absolute standouts in Lewin and Nankervis.’’

Lachie Benton, a teammate of Nankervis at the Dragons, was named best for Dingley.

Cheltenham coach Des Ryan.

At Murphy Reserve, Cheltenham got the better of Port Colts 19.7 (121) to 13.12 (90) to stay undefeated after four rounds.

But the Rosellas paid an exorbitant price for the victory.

Jake Davis hurt a knee and will have an MRI this week to determine the extent of the damage.

Cam Blitsas broke his collarbone and faces a long stretch on the sidelines, and Finn Ryan and Chris Neophitou suffered hamstring injuries.

Jackson Kilner kicked five goals, including two in the third quarter as the Rosellas darted away with six goals to two.

Coach Des Ryan said it was a tremendous win for his team considering the injury count.

“From about halftime onwards we couldn’t do much from a rotational point of view,’’ he said.

“It showed the character of the lads. They were great.’’

Ryan said of Colts: “I think they’re a really good side. No doubt about that. They came at us a few times but we were a bit better in those moments I guess.’’

The Colts were missing AFL recruit Marley Williams (unavailable) and ace full forward Jase Perkins (injured) but the Rosellas had Myke Cook, Josh Fox, Will McTaggart and Kyle Parsons out.