Devils survive Swans scare

TODD WHELAN

Enigmatic Darley bounced back to the winners list with a nailbiting five-point win over Ballarat.

The highly anticipated affair most certainly lived up to the billing giving buoyant fans a front row seat to one of the games of the season.

This match-up had everything.

While as many as seven ex-AFL players were represented, it was two former and current VFL-listed talents that led the way for their respective teams in a finals-like rehearsal.

Devils playmaker Billy Myers (ex-Williamstown) booted seven goals, making light work of a slippery ball both in the air and his pinpoint goalkicking.

Footscray VFL-listed accumulator Tristan Maple did his future prospects no harm with a standout display around the ground – his run and distribution was partly the catalyst of a Swans comeback in the second half.

Both camps would concede it was a tale of two halves with the Devils exploding out of the blocks with five goals over a scintillating eight minutes to stun Ash Baker’s side, who arrived on a 6-0 run.

Darley coach Dan Jordan was thrilled with the immediate response after “a chat” during the week.

Relatively dry conditions prevailed for the entire first half as the Devils extended to a 43-point lead at the main break.

Brett Bewley, Nick Hind, Joel Cadman and Adam Azzopadi had the wood over the Swans midfield despite the efforts of Fraser Perkins, who was leading the resistance.

Enter the rain.

The Swans refused to throw in the towel with an inaccurate 5.7 in the third – ex-Western Bulldog Andrew Hooper provided the spark with three goals and challenged the Devils’ defence in slippery conditions.

The reigning premiers looked to have regressed into their shell, as if haunted by their disappointing loss in the wet to North Ballarat seven days earlier.

Surely a 19-point buffer for Darley at the final break would be enough?

Well it was in the end, barely, as the Swans continued to come.

Biggie Nyoun (two goals) was beginning to look dangerous on the back of a spike in supply. The BFNL’s leading goal-scorer had been well held by Matthew Brett for the most part.

Maple, Perkins, Hooper, Luke Gray and Paddy Simpson took it up to the reigning premiers only to fall agonisingly short.

While the Swans lost no admirers, the Devils looked sharp for periods, providing glimpses of their best and were shown the way yet again by star duo Brett Bewley and Billy Myers.

Darley’s extraordinary 16-0 run at home continues.

What the coaches said:

Darley – Dan Jordan

Proud of the response from the boys after some shared realities during the week.

Excellent start to the game against a very good side.

We always knew they were going to come and we were well aware of how important it was to start well.

Credit to the Swans they kept coming; we were rapt and relieved to hang on in the end and take plenty of learning from the game.

Still a lot for us to work on moving forward.

Ballarat – Ash Baker

Disappointing result for us.

We were poor early and given a lesson at contested possession throughout the first half.

Darley are a quality outfit and when the game was there to be set up, they proved just that.

To our credit, we kept fronting up during the second half and our ability to keep at it got us back in the game late in the contest.

Plenty to work on moving forwards.

Final scores:

Darley 5.3 (33), 9.6 (60), 11.7 (73), 13.7 (85) def Ballarat 1.4 (10), 2.5 (17), 7.12 (54), 11.14 (80).

Goals: Darley – B. Myers 7, L. George 2, L. Baker, J. Cadman, Ad. Azzopardi, N. Hind; Ballarat – A. Hooper 4, B. Nyoun 2, B. Crouch, L. Dunstan, P. Simpson, T. Richard, L.Rinaldi.

Whelan’s best: Darley – B. Myers, B. Bewley, M. Brett, L. George, Z. Lehuray; Ballarat – T. Maple, F. Perkins, A. Hooper, L. Gray, P. Simpson.