Boomers blitz Panthers

A hat-trick of South West Football League victories against Carey Park at the Panthers stronghold of Kelly Park is a mighty feat in itself and that is just what former Panther’s favourite son Richard Barnard achieved on Sunday afternoon.

Visiting his old club as opposition head coach, the Panthers life member and two times premiership captain led the Eaton Boomers to a 18.10 (118) to 8.8 (56) victory over his former team.

Sharing his new coach’s glory was club star Chris Atthowe who helped himself to three goals and picked up another four points to stretch his lead at the top of the Slater and Gordon Player of the Year count.

Atthowe shared the limelight with pacy Gino Catalano, who booted two goals, and Rohan Lily who slotted four.

Boomers runners Catalano, Denhalm King and Michael Battaglia showed their paces together with ruckmen Lily and Nicholas Martin, Jye Cormack, Matt Buchanan and Blake Piggott.

The match started as expected with the two speediest sides in the SWFL going in hard with diminutive Boomer Karl Collard winning early ball but turned back at the half back line by big Rodney Jetta who found Riley Hutchinson for the first goal of the game after a minute and a half.

Five minutes later Kane Bloxsidge levelled for the Boomers to set them on their way.

Not long after, Atthowe and Lily – courtesy of a relayed free followed by a 50m penalty and yellow cards for two Carey Park players by no-nonsense umpire Peter Franklin - extended the Boomers advantage.

With time running out in the first quarter Josh Bowe slotted an acute-angled set shot before a superb crumber by Collard gave the Boomers a handy 5.2 to 1.2 lead.

The visitors increased their advantage at every break from then on to run out eventual 62-point victors over their hosts.

The Panthers battled gamely throughout with burly Michael Robinson, David Roche, Brayden Lawler, Heath Stewart and Chris Rintoul invariably in the thick of the action but it was not enough to prevent the reigning premiers from running away with the game.

The result means the Boomers hold on to first on the ladder ahead of a match-up with Harvey next weekend.

Carey Park remains rooted near the bottom in seventh after a horror draw to start the season.

The Panthers take on HBL in round five.

Scoreboard

Eaton Boomers 5.2 9.5 13.7 18.10 118 def Carey Park 1.2 3.6 6.6 8.8 56

Goals:

EB – R. Lily 4, C. Atthowe 3, K. Collard, J. Bowe, M. Buchanan, G. Catalano 2, A. Smith, D. King, K. Bloxsidge.

CP – M. Robinson 2, L. Stewart, L. Sciani, R. Jetta, M. Martin, M. McMillan, R. Hutchinson.

Best:

EB - C. Atthowe, G. Catalano, H. Gregory, B. Piggott, R. Lily, J. Cormack.

CP – M. Robinson, D. Roche, B.Lawler, C. Rintoul, H. Stewart, R. Jetta.

See more pictures of the action at www.infogo.com.au/go