Golden Square breaks Strathfieldsaye Storm wining streak at 39

The Bulldogs registered one less scoring shot than the Storm, but were far more efficient in their front half while their defenders led by Brayden Dorrington and 150-gamer Dale Young shut down their opponent’s attack.

Ryan Herring booted three majors for the Bulldogs and the home side had a more even spread of goalkickers than Strathfieldsaye, which missed injured Lachlan Sharp’s presence in the vital last quarter.

Even with co-coach Bryce Curnow switching from half-back when Square used the Maple Street end breeze and then going forward when it was Storm’s turn with the wind, the Bulldogs added six goals to two in the second half on their way to a 12.7 (79) to 7.13 (55) win.

Co-captain Jack Geary sparked the Dogs in the first term.

They didn’t spray a single shot with the fifth major – an across-the-body shot from Comanche Walls after he’d baulked around an opponent - one of the goals of the day.

Strathfieldsaye turned in its best quarter of the day in the second, adding 3.4 to 1.1.

Now in attack, Curnow orchestrated the forward moves as Sharp, Harry Conway and Jake Hall added goals.

Hall’s was an absolute gem. He roosted a long rolling shot towards the Maple Street goals and not one of three chasers, including a Square backman, could lay a fingernail on the ball.

That was the end of Strathfieldsaye’s rally. Just one point down at half-time they weren’t able to add another goal until a further quarter-and-a-half had been played.

Golden Square kept on working hard. Adam Baird landed a ripper goal from the swimming pool flank, while Lachlan Woodward hauled in the pack mark-of-the-day and nursed home his shot from the opposite flank.

Although midfielder Trent Donnan, clearly Storm’s best afield, kept trying to lift his side, he had few helpers.

Even by three-quarter time the Storm looked cooked. There was no spark and seemingly little enthusiasm for the task at hand.

Herring capped off enterprising work from Tom Toma and Hamish Morcom to land his second major, and when Square first-gamer Braydon Welsh drilled a set shot at the Wade Street end it was all over for the Storm.

Eventually Storm’s Harry Conway belatedly goaled from a free kick, before Herring iced the game with his third major for the Bulldogs.

Golden Square coach Nick Carter said the big theme leading into the match had been “energy”.

“I thought our energy and intensity gave us a chance, plus we did well with not only our attacking structures, but also our defensive ones as well,” Carter said.

Carter added he thought co-captain Dorrington had been extremely effective while in attack, Herring had pulled in 12-plus marks, and Geary in his 100^th game continued in his ‘bull around the contests’ role.