THE big, imposing body of Lachie McGhie has been a welcome addition to Spotswood’s all-conquering team in the Western Region Football League’s division 1.
The return of the premiership ruckman after a year of playing in the bush could be the catalyst for the Woodsmen becoming even stronger than the team that won last season’s flag. And that would be signalled if they were to win a remarkable five flags in six seasons.
McGhie has wasted little time establishing himself as No.1 ruckman at the club this season. He’s probably the premier big man in the competition, as he showed in a best-afield performance in the Woodsmen’s runaway 61-point win over Sunshine Kangaroos at a windswept McLean Reserve on Saturday.
“Lachie was dominant in the middle of the ground and gave first use of the ball to the midfielders all day,” player-coach Chris O’Keefe said. “He was superb and his work around the ground and in general play was very good, too.”
The Woodsmen claimed victory over the Kangaroos without having to produce their best brand of football.
The windy conditions, experienced by clubs all over the western suburbs, made it hard for targets to be hit, with simply the ‘hungrier’ sides winning on the day.
The Woodsmen were wasteful in front of goal – they had a return of 16.21 from 37 scoring shots – but hardly gave the visitors a look-in after half-time.
“It was a messy kind of game,” O’Keefe said. “It was quite windy so we didn’t handle the ball as well as we would have liked and squandered a fair few chances when we were in the forward line.
“After half-time we just executed a little bit better and kicked our goals. We improved what we needed to do, put on some scoreboard pressure and put the game away in the third quarter.”
Nick Walters was an impenetrable force on the half-back line for the Woodsmen. The Williamstown VFL-aligned player won most contests with the ball in his vicinity and provided a conduit between defence and attack.
Unfortunately for the Woodsmen, Walters’ stay is likely to be brief.
“He’s a very good player and went well again today,” O’Keefe said. “I don’t think we’ll see him again this year. He’ll go back to Williamstown and do very well.”
Full-back Ahmed Souki was entrusted with one of the toughest tasks on the ground in curtailing Kangaroos’ power forward Patrick Wiggins, who was once on the Western Bulldogs’ list.
Wiggins finished with three goals, but his impact was lessened by Souki’s fearless approach.
Despite the flurry of behinds, goals still came thick and fast for the Woodsmen, who finished with 10 individual goalkickers. Jason Cloke booted four and there were multiples to captain Tom Langlands, new recruit Ben Perry and McGhie, who rested as a dangerous forward.
The Woodsmen’s biggest tests in the first half of the season are still to come, with a tough trip to Port Melbourne on Saturday followed by the visit of the much-hyped Altona Vikings.
