ALTONA Vikings stalled out of the gates and could not recover from a big early deficit in the first loss of their Western Region Football League division 1 premiership defence to new-threat Deer Park by 15 points on the road at John McLeod Oval on Saturday.
The Vikings have featured in a number of top-of-the-table blockbusters with Spotswood in the past couple of seasons, but those games were normally tight, slow-burn, bruising encounters that you expect to find in September.
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This one turned into a shoot-out with the Lions dictating the terms from the outset with their hard-running, free-flowing and attacking brand of football catching the reigning premiers napping.
The Vikings took the best part of three quarters to get with the script and match the intensity levels shown by the Lions, by which time the horse had bolted.
“They were just on from the first bounce and sort of got away from us,” Vikings captain Josh Russo told the Weekly. “They led us to the ball a bit and played some good footy because they’re a good side. We were playing catch-up.”
The Vikings looked vulnerable for the first time in a long time.
They were 65 points in arrears at half-time and were still staring down the barrel of a massive defeat at three-quarter-time, despite having stemmed the bleeding in the third with better pressure around the ball.
Vikings coach Anthony Eames implored his team to take the game on in the fourth quarter and they did that to good effect, booting eight goals to one in a stunning last quarter to get within three kicks at full time.
“We didn’t have a great start, but one thing we’re trying to build is a never-say-die attitude,” Russo said.
“Just because you’re down, it doesn’t mean you throw in the towel.
“Credit to the boys, we didn’t give up, we kept battling away. It could’ve been a 150-point loss and in the end it was a 15-point loss.”
Jayden Post snared four goals for the Vikings to take his tally to 12 in three games. Brett Shiels and Jordan Robbins were dangerous in front of goal with three apiece.
The Vikings return to JK Grant Reserve on Saturday to play Port Melbourne Colts.
DIVISION 1
Deer Park 20.20 (140) d Altona 19.11 (125). Altona – goals: Post 4, Shiels, Robbins 3, Rafferty, Jawad 2, Lunardi, Spiteri, Turnbull, Halloran, Cross. Best: Halloran, Post, Robbins, Rafferty, Kennedy, Cross.
Hoppers Crossing 17.12 (114) d Yarraville-Seddon 6.12 (48). Yarraville-Seddon – goals: Dorazio, Stretton, Krakouer, Newtown, Topalidis, Willis. Best: Pearce, Jansz, Harmes, Collins, Dorazio, Stretton.
Spotswood 17.14 (116) St Albans 14.7 (91). Spotswood – goals: Cloke 4, El-Hawli 3, Fogarty, Elliott, Callard 2, O’Keefe, Langlands, Orchard, Ryan. Best: Langlands, Elliott, O’Keefe, El-Hawli, Langlands, Lynch.
North Footscray 6.6 (42) lt Albion 21.15 (141). North Footscray – goals: Wills, Wilson, Dardha, Aspiotis, Jackson, Peters. Best: Riddle, O’Donnell, Jackson, Peters, Wilson, Brown.
Around the grounds: Port Melbourne Colts 11.8 (74) lt Sunshine 22.12 (144).
Next round: Albion v Deer Park, Altona v Port Melbourne Colts, Spotswood v North Footscray, Sunshine v Hoppers Crossing, Yarraville-Seddon v St Albans.
DIVISION 2
Sunshine Heights 23.15 (153) d West Footscray 6.9 (45). West Footscray – goals: Augustine 4, Trowsdale 2. Best: Speakman, Augustine, Griffin, Lay, Trowsdale, Turner.
Parkside 10.16 (76) d Wyndhamvale 7.12 (54). Parkside – goals: Mastropasqua 3, Towns, Ryan, Muratore, Grant, Bera, Pearce, Gervasi. Best: Ryan, Muratore, Grant, Bera, Fowler, Pearce.
Sanctuary Lakes 14.13 (97) d Laverton 11.11 (77). Laverton – goals: Mulroy 3, Kelso, Boxshall 2, Paone, O’Donnell, Bublenik, Ristevski. Best: Lawry, Dunne, Mulroy, Spiteri, Collins, Paone.
Around the grounds: Albanvale 9.4 (58) lt Glenorden 40.14 (254), North Sunshine 6.8 (44) lt Braybrook 15.17 (107), Manor Lakes 16.15 (111) d Caroline Springs 7.8 (50).
Next round: Albanvale v West Footscray, Braybrook v Sanctuary Lakes, Laverton v Parkside, Wyndhamvale v Sunshine Heights, North Sunshine v Caroline Springs, Glenorden v Manor Lakes.
