Sport
30 May, 2024
Reunion Day stumps Blues
A BOLSTERED Calivil has proven pundits right - the Demons are only a couple of key players short of shaking the top sides in Loddon Valley football. Coach Ant Dennis created his own on-field reunion on Saturday as Demons legends celebrated their...
A BOLSTERED Calivil has proven pundits right - the Demons are only a couple of key players short of shaking the top sides in Loddon Valley football.
Coach Ant Dennis created his own on-field reunion on Saturday as Demons legends celebrated their 1964 flag.
Dennis had two former Tongala team mates in the lineup against Inglewood - Northern Territory all-star Cam Ilett and Jordan Souter.
The Ant and Cam show wasted no time establishing a game style that left Inglewood floundering and heading to a 55-point win at their home ground on Saturday.
Ilett had touches by the dozen, many passes finding their way to Dennis who ended the game with three goals.
But Ilett had vision to bring other players into the game. Samuel Maher, Jack Maher, Darcy Thompson and Hamish Wall part of passages created by Ilett’s wizardry.
Souter made his presence felt across the midfield, his frame buffering opponents away from play as the Demons constantly pushed into the forward 50.
Inglewood had just two goals on the board at half time. There was a bit of spirit early in the third quarter when Dan Polack and Bowen Cauchi had breakthroughs.
That momentary lapse by Calivil saw Inglewood double its score in a matter of minutes. The Blues had bustled and bottled the game on the way to momentary ascendency.
But the confidence of Calivil was not going to be dented with seven scoring shots to three in the final term.
Calivil’s presure and tackling was ferocious across the half-back line.
Dennis set up goals for Rhys Lourie and Darcy Thompson before marking an Ilett ball himself and kicking truly.
Moments later, it was Dennis who again brought Lourie into play deep inside the square for another goal.
Inglewood had skipper Polack in the middle of every contest from one end of the ground to the other.
His efforts had some reward mid-term in a passage that saw Keelan Payne goal from the square.
The Blues were kicking long in attempts to bypass Calivil’s confidence and system across the centre.
But Ilett was the everywhere player encouraging the young Demons.
It was the best performance of Calivil since former premiership coach Ant Dennis returned last season for his second stint.
He wanted the game played on Calivil’s terms and later said that apart from those 10 or 15 minutes in the third quarter, the team with only five players aged over 24, did just that,
Dennis said the win put Calivil’s season on track and had his young side primed for Newbridge and the chance to push claims to knock Inglewood out of fifth spot on the ladder.
Inglewood big man Thomas Kennedy took some telling marks in defence in the second half and Mitchell Conlan finished the game with three goals.
For Calivil, it was the second win of the season. The Demons lost by eight points in the opening round against Maiden Gully.
Three weeks away from the return clash, the Demons have lifted since that April encounter.
Two key players they may not have again this season but the confidence of one week with Ilett in the side shows what the team could do.
Inglewood has a torrid draw over the next month - Pyramid Hill, Marong, the bye and then the return meeting with Bears Lagoon Serpentine.