WHEN finals are out of reach, the next best thing is to get one over your noisy neighbours.
The Western Jets finished the TAC Cup season in fine fashion with a 58-point pummelling of the finals-bound Calder Cannons in the last round at Highgate Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
“They’re our rivals,” Jets region manager Shane Sexton told the Weekly.
“Some of the kids go to school together so we like to serve it up to them. The kids were good from start to finish.”
The second half was a show of strength from the Jets.
They defended stoutly into a strong breeze in the third quarter and attacked with breathtaking ease with it in the last.
The two-goal buffer they built after the first half was somehow retained by the turn of the fourth, despite kicking against a tricky five-goal wind in the third.
Any doubts about the Jets’ dominance were put to rest with a sizzling nine goals to one last term.
“It certainly would’ve rivalled the best footy we’ve played all year,” Sexton said.
“What we’ve been endeavouring to do this year is become a more offensive side and take the game on.
“At different times today we were taking the ball from full-back to full-forward and getting goals.
“When our kicking efficiency has been high in the past month, we’ve been right in game.
“We were very efficient today and we played some good footy.”
Lachie Hunter was undoubtedly the catalyst for the Jets.
The Vic Metro representative produced the kind of game that would have piqued the interest of the Western Bulldogs, who are eligible to take him under the father-son rule after his father Mark played 130 games for the club between 1988 and ’96.
Last week, Hunter, who was under an injury cloud, bagged six goals against the Bendigo Pioneers. This time around, it was three goals and a game-breaking shift in the midfield.
“During a critical part of the game, he went on to the ball and was pretty influential,” Sexton said.
“The game was up for grabs in that third quarter and when Lachie went on to the ball, he was winning clearances in the centre and winning ball around the ground.”
Bottom-age ruckman Mark Orr left his finger- prints all over the ball. The 17-year-old was outstanding aerially in the ruck and showed his strong pair of hands around the ground.
“That was his best game by a long way,” Sexton said. “He must have taken 15 contested marks for the day and got his fair share of knock- outs.”
A key to victory was negating the influence of Cannons’ highly rated power forwards.
Harley Walshe left nothing in reserve to keep Joe Daniher to one goal, while Sam Critchley will claim the honours over Liam McBean after keeping his aerial exploits to a minimum.
Spencer White continued his scintillating back end of the season with three goals, while Ajdin Elkasovic, Jack Walker, Jason Robinson and Jake McKenzie finished the winter on a bright note.
To beat this Cannons outfit, however, it was always going to take a collective effort.
“It was a weight of numbers thing today,” Sexton said.
“They all stuck to it for four quarters to post a pretty comfortable win.”
