Falcons fall to Buccaneers

THE might of the division one Geelong Buccaneers was too great for the Ballarat Falcons to overcome, as they went down 56-6 in front of a Geelong home crowd in Corio on Saturday.

As expected, Geelong controlled the game offensively with their run game, keeping the Falcons defence busy throughout the match.

Despite the scoreboard, there were bright spots for the Falcons with defensive MVP Matthew Gat and line-backer Peter McKay applying pressure on the line and a second quarter field goal block keeping the score at 20-0.

That same period saw more good play from the Falcons, hindering Geelong’s passing game with pressure from the defensive backs culminating in an interception from safety Mark Hocking.

Geelong maintained their composure though, running the ball for 90 yards and three touchdowns leaving a half-time score line of 41-0.

Facing the tough matchup without key offensive players Duncan McIntosh and Andrew Pickersgill, the Falcons looked to their depth at running back to try maintain a competitive presence, with rookie Rhys McCormack pushing for yards on the ground.

Despite finding himself having to run the ball himself on a number of plays, quarterback James Stephens was still able to connect with the everreliable wide receiver Eddie Carey to move down the field.

For the Falcons though, the game was all about the defence.

The defensive line, led by Dave Parker, applied a great deal of pressure in the second half, limiting Geelong to only 13 additional points for the game.

Playing both offense and defence, Eddie Carey gave the Falcons their game highlight as he returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

It was no surprise that his efforts earned Carey the MVP for the match.

The loss sees the Falcons drop to seventh position on the Gridiron Victoria ladder, slipping behind the Bendigo Dragons who jumped to sixth following a win against the lowly Pakenham Silverbacks.

The Falcons face Pakenham in four weeks’ time to finish the regular season, but face a trifecta of tough division one teams beforehand.

A battle this Friday against a wounded South- Eastern Predators, fresh from a 42-0 loss against the Western Crusaders, will prove to be a pivotal game for the Falcons hopes of making the playoffs.

BEST – Ballarat: Eddie Carey, James Stephens, Matthew Gat and Dave Parker.