Vic Country kicked five goals in the final term to run over the top of Vic Metro in Sunday’s opening game of the under-18 national football championships at Trevor Barker Oval.
Momentum swung freely, but Country was cleaner with the ball in its 14.5 (89) to 11.8 (74) win.
Metro coach David Flood said he would take a lot out of the game despite the loss.
PICTURE GALLERY: Vic Metro v Vic Country
“I’m happy with the game style,” he said. “We had opportunities going inside 50, but they were a bit cleaner with the ball.
“Everybody played their bit for us and no one stood out, but Country did have some stars on the day.”
Country kicked the opening goal, but, once settled, the Metro players applied a lot of pressure in their own front half.
Calder Cannons’ Pete Wright kicked Metro’s first of the game and his teammates kicked another three for the quarter.
The second term started the way the first ended – with Metro controlling play for the opening goal.
Towards the end of the term, Country scored three goals in five minutes to reduce the margin to three points going into the main break.
The second half began with Wright kicking his second goal for Metro.
Then Country took over, and with cleaner disposal in the forward line, turned the nine-point deficit into a nine-point
lead.
Metro hit back with the next goal before kicking two out-of-bounds on the full.
Rory Sheridan-Ferrie took two strong marks in the forward 50 to give the lead back to Metro, which took a seven-point lead into the final quarter.
That term started with some good defensive work by Calder’s Matthew Goodyear, who earned a free kick for a holding-the-ball
decision. His Cannons teammate, Paul A’Hern, finished off the good work to extend the lead to 13 points.From there, Country took control, capitalising on Metro errors in the midfield and defensive half.
Goodyear registered 24 possessions for Metro, while Western Jets’ Jayden Laverde had 22.
