The Central Giants have upset a high flying Western Crows side, winning by 28 points, making their upcoming game against the Southern Saints a must win for both sides to make the Grand Final
The giants showed up with 1 goal if they were to progress to the grand final, and it showed in the opening quarter. The Crows, coming off a big win against the Saints were backed into a corner by a Giants, a side with nothing to lose, making them a dangerous prospect. Both sides worked back and forward with neither side able to gain an edge over the other. The low scoring quarter ended in a 2 point lead to the Giants.
Leading the game heading into the second quarter was the confidence boost the Giants needed and it showed. The Giants took off with a hiss and a roar, and left the Crows struggling to come up with an answer. Touariki Dodds was on fire up front and made the Crows pay, kicking 4 goals throughout the game. The giants took it to the Crows in the second, kicking four goals and taking a strong 23 point lead heading into the half time break.
The Crows stemmed the flow of points in the third and tightened up their defense and the first quarter arm wrestle returned with the Crows managing to win reduce the Giants lead to 21. The Giants did a great job of limiting the premierships top goal scorer Alex Fakatoumafi to 3 goals for the game, limiting his chances to score goals and get the Crows back into the game.
The constant arm wrestle between the two sides saw fatigue start to creep in, and as the fourth quarter began it appeared the the game was going to come down to who could push themselves right to the end. The Crows put up a great fight but the Giants had an answer to everything that was thrown at them and finished the game with a 28 point margin
The Hero
Lachlan Salmon is very versatile player which makes him an asset for any team. Capable of playing multiple positions, Lachlan has the ability to be dangerous all over the ground
The Support Crew
Connor McGeough and Mitch Weir are two outstanding and hard to stop players when they get the ball in their hands. Their ability to beat defenders makes them dangerous on attack. They also react fast and gave the Giants strong momentum when they turned the ball over.
The Consolation Effort
Jimmy Ellison is a very talented defender. His ability to roam free and read the play means that he is able to put himself in the best position to take an intercept mark or create as strong contest and break down the oppositions ball movement
Quarter Time: Crows 0 3 3 Giants 0 5 5
Half Time: Crows 1 5 11 Giants 4 10 34
3 Quarter Time: Crows 3 9 27 Giants 6 12 48
Full Time: Crows 5 11 41 Giants 9 15 69
Goal Scorers
Western Crows: Alex Fakatoumafi 3, Will Dickinson 1, Troy Brown 1
Central Giants: Touariki Dodds 4, August King 1, Steph Tabaillou 1, Logan Toomer 1, Mitchell Weir 1, Jevaan Croft 1
