Football: Eagles continue to soar after win

The Collie Eagles extended their winning run to four with a 36-point victory over an underperforming Bunbury at a wet Collie Recreation ground on Sunday.

The home team dominated the game but let the Bulldogs off the hook with 30 scoring shots to 14. Blair Malatesta finished with 4.5 in the 11.19 (85) to 7.7 (49) win.

After losing the first three rounds of the season, Collie now sits fourth on the ladder and looks like it is setting itself for another deep finals run.

Collie started the stronger of the two teams but late goals to Jordan Adamson-Holmes and Marc Re levelled the scores at the first change.

Promoted Eagle Matt Burek found a lot of the footy early.

The Bulldogs held plenty of possession in the second term but just couldn’t find targets inside 50, with Jordan Adamson-Holmes and Marc Re blanketed by swarming Collie defenders.

Goals to Burek, Malatesta, Paul Rinder and Adam Bignall had the Eagles leading by 18 points at the long break.

Heavy rain set in after half-time, with the game becoming a congested tackle-fest.

Collie adapted to the conditions better but failed to capitalise on the scoreboard, kicking a wasteful 1.6 to Bunbury’s 1.1 in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs’ defensive unit of Grady Byrne, Matt Whitbread, Cody Hay and Riley Hutchinson tackled, spoiled and scrapped as the Eagles turned the screws, but Bunbury trailed by 23 points at the final change.

Bulldog captain Jesse Gribble led from the front when the game was in the balance, winning clearances and pumping the ball forward.

The Bulldogs had their share of possession early in the final term but couldn’t take advantage.

Malatesta’s third goal midway through the last quarter extinguished Bunbury’s hopes of a comeback. His fourth, coming after the siren, iced another impressive Eagles win.

Scoreboard

Collie Eagles 2.3 6.10 7.16 11.19 85 def Bunbury 2.3 4.4 5.5 7.7 49

Goals:

COLLIE EAGLES — B. Malatesta 4, M. Burek, P. Lindsay 2, M. Michael, A. Bignall, A. Tweedie.

BUNBURY — J. Adamson-Holmes, M. Re 2, J. Gribble, L. Davis, R. Sheehan.

Best:

COLLIE EAGLES — B. Malatesta, A. Tweedie, M. Burek, P. Lindsay, K. Shanahan.

BUNBURY — J. Gribble, G. Byrne, M. Whitbread, C. Hay, C. McGuire.