VFL 2019: McLean, Cavarra star as Footscray fixes up Port Melbourne

The Bulldogs were trailing the Borough by 25 points but they turned it around brilliantly to win by 49 in tough conditions at North Port Oval.

TALK about a turnaround.

Early in the second quarter at a cold, wet and windy North Port Oval on Saturday, Footscray Bulldogs trailed Port Melbourne by 25 points.

Yet they ended up winning by 49 points, 15. 19 (107) to 8.10 (48).

The weather stayed miserable and the conditions remained rugged but fortunes changed markedly as the Bulldogs put together 10 unanswered goals and had 20 of 21 scoring shots between the second and last quarters.

Port was expected to hit back after being routed by Essendon in the previous round.

Instead, it was hit with a defeat that coach Gary Ayres called “embarrassing’’.

Port had peeled off seven consecutive wins and a draw heading into the Essendon loss but Ayres said he had seen signs that all was not well with his team.

He said too much had been left to too few, and the Bombers and now the Bulldogs had exposed his side’s reliance on a core group.

Asked which team Port played in Round 14, Ayres shot back: “We’ve got the bye — thank Christ.’’

He’s also got veteran Ben Jolley on the injured list (abductor).

Best-afield Toby McLean takes a kick for the Bulldogs.

Footscray was brilliantly and boldly led by out-of-favour premiership Bulldog Toby McLean, who had 30 possessions, kicked two classy goals and around the ball was as elusive as a shadow. He looked a class above the VFL.

“Yeah, he was the best player on the ground, quite clearly,’’ Ayres noted.

Dogs coach Daniel Giansiracusa said: “Toby McLean was outstanding.’’

VFL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2019

BULLDOGS DRAFT BEN CAVARRA

The same could be said for little left-footer Ben Cavarra, who kicked four goals and gift-wrapped two others for Scrays teammates.

Drafted last year after five outstanding seasons in the VFL, Cavarra has encountered injury problems in 2019. But he’s played the past three rounds and is starting to give the Bulldogs match committee something to think about.

Cavarra kicked two goals in 90 seconds in the second quarter as the Bulldogs fought back from an uncertain start. Gerard Gleeson and Fletcher Roberts followed up and by half time the Bulldogs led by one point.

The second half was a rout, the visitors kicking 10 goals to three.

Port Melbourne ruckman Tom Goodwin runs on to the ball.

The Bulldogs thought big Jordon Sweet (60 hit-outs, 10 tackles) got the better of Port Melbourne ruckman Tom Goodwin, who had 43 hit-outs.

“He’s developing really well, coming along nicely,’’ Giansiracusa said. “There are things in his game we’re working on with him but he’s becoming a consistent and reliable teammate.’’

VFL-listers Anthony Scott and Josh Wallis were other strong contributors.

Giansiracusa was also chuffed with his former teammate, 36-year-old Dale Morris, who returned from a knee injury, apparently breakable neither by sword nor stone.

“It’s incredible he’s still playing …. he put his body on the line, like he always does,’’ he said.

Footscray coach Daniel Giansiracusa at the huddle.

“Gia’’ is in his first year coaching in the VFL but he knows any victory over Port Melbourne at North Port Oval is a good one.

“In terms of numbers, they were still looking OK, it was a pretty even contest, but we made a few little errors, letting the ball over the back, and Port got away,’’ he said of Footscray’s slow start.

“But the boys showed composure, and from 15 minutes into the second quarter it was exactly how we wanted the game to look. Always tough to win here, so it’s a great result for us.’’

Harvey Hooper, Shannen Lange and Callum Searle have had excellent seasons for the Borough and were again among the best.

Skipper Tom O’Sullivan battled hard too but Ayres said too many of his players failed to handle Footscray’s pressure.

“We were disappointing … the last couple of weeks have been embarrassing, to be honest,’’ he said.

“There is so much work we have to do. We’re just not competitive at the minute.’’

Footscray 1.3, 5.8, 9.15, 15.17 (107)

Port Melbourne 3.4, 5.6, 5.7, 8.10 (58)

Footscray goals: B. Cavarra 4, T. McLean 2, A. Scott 2, R. McComb, G. Gleeson, L. Nash, R. William, L. Sullivan, F. Roberts, W. Hayes

Best: T. McLean, B. Cavarra, J. Sweet, A. Scott, J. Wallis, B. Lynch

Port Melbourne goals: J. Lisle 3, D. Johnstone 2, B. Pearson, A. Krakauer, E. Templeton

Best: H. Hooper, S. Lange, C. Searle, P. Veszpremi, T. O’Sullivan, J. Lisle