Geelong Amateur and Ocean Grove are two Bellarine Football League clubs at opposite ends of the ladder and development.
Ammos are primed for a premiership tilt this season and sit on top of the table while the Grubbers are a young side rebuilding for the future.
The result on Saturday was never in doubt with Ammos winning 15.20(110) to 4.7(31) with Lara recruit Mitch Day and former Richmond and Western Bulldogs player Sam Lloyd combining for 11 goals.
Day (six goals) and Lloyd (five) and a five goal to none first term saw off any chance of an upset loss very early.
“I think we were winning the footy around the source and that allowed us to get a lot of inside 50 entries,” Amateur co-coach Riley Kershaw said.
“Obviously when we’ve got Mitch and Sam up forward, the more times we get the footy in there, the more looks they’re naturally going to get. I think our contest work around the stoppage and around the footy was probably a big key for us.”
Despite being one of the premiership favourites, Kershaw said success this season would not be defined by a flag.
“Everyone’s expectations of success are quite different,” he said.
“While success is probably the expectation that you win a flag or whatever it might be, I don’t think it’s a true and realistic expectation of sides when you’re in this position in the middle year. So I think you can’t really define it (success) until the end of the year.”
Ocean Grove coach Dave Farrell said Geelong Amateur was too good on the day.
“It’s been pretty well established how stacked their side is this season and seeing them first hand they were super impressive,” he said.
“Experience and strength on every line made it really difficult for our boys to get our game going for periods of the day.”
Farrell said the young list would not learn anything by putting numbers behind the ball to limit scoreboard damage.
“Despite a few untidy scoreboard finishes the last few weeks the coaches and players are clear about not retreating or pumping numbers behind the ball to soften these losses,” he said.
“We did that early in our development plan and now believe it’s about getting a bit more balance at the contest and how we take the ball forward. We spoke post-game that some groups in the position we found ourselves would be starved of confidence and stop wanting the ball in hand or working for each other late in games when self-preservation becomes more of a focus.
“This group is different, despite not having the experience other sides might have, down two rotations from half-time again and with one rotation for most of the last quarter, they continued to work for one another and want the ball in hand when it was their turn.”
DRYSDALE looks to have gotten its mojo back with a 25-point win against Torquay. Midfielder Lachlan Nelis and forward Ben Fennell were best while skipper Ben McNamara was best for the Tigers.
MODEWARRE continued its resurrection with an 11-point win against Barwon Heads with Callan Farrell (two goals) best and youngster Harry Hyland putting in a good shift for the Seagulls.
QUEENSCLIFF put itself right in the running for a top three berth this season with a 102-point thumping of Portarlington. Izaac Grant and Patrick Bradley each booted five goals for the Coutas.
ANGLESEA proved too good for Newcomb with a 48-point win with Ike Hardman and Liam Carolan leading the way.
