STRATHFIELDSAYE continues to set the pace in the BFNL, winning its sixth game in a row at the expense of South Bendigo on Saturday.
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The clash at the QEO featured the top two teams heading into round eight, but it was a no-contest.
In a statement of just how well the 7-1 Storm are playing and that the Bloods, who are improved but still have plenty of work ahead of them, Strathfieldsaye prevailed 19.11 (125) to 7.4 (46).
While the Bloods could muster a score of just 46, that’s what the Storm booted in the final term as they ran away with a 79-point win.
Not only was it another smothering performance defensively from the Storm as they held their opposition to less than 50 points for the fourth game in a row, but they spread their 19 goals between 11 players.
Storm X-factor forward Lachlan Sharp continued his superb return from a knee injury to snag five goals and in doing so, pass the 50-mark before the halfway point of the season. He now has 53.
While there’s still a long way to go, what a story it would be if Sharp could kick the ton in his return season from a knee reconstruction.
The Bloods were in the contest early when the two sides split the first six goals of the game three each.
However, the Storm made their move in what would prove the decisive period of the game with a nine-minute burst during the second quarter when they kicked four unanswered goals that started with a brilliant snap out of a stoppage from Jake Hall, and was followed by majors to Jamieson Sheahan, Sharp and Brad Stringer.
The Storm kicked those four goals with the Bloods barely touching the ball, and when they did get their hands on it they gifted it back to Strathfieldsaye.
The Storm led by 28 points at half-time, 8.5 to 4.1, with the closest the Bloods were able to get in the second half being 20 points after Liam Bartels kicked the opening goal of the third term.
At that stage it was eight goals to five, before the Storm upped the ante, slamming on 11 of the last 13 goals of the game to beat the Bloods for the eighth time in a row.
The pressure of the Storm, who laid 88 tackles, never allowed the Bloods, who have lost two in a row, to find any flow in their game, while South’s cause wasn’t helped when Nathan Devanny was yellow-carded midway through the third term.
Better players for the Storm in what was an even team effort featured Sheahan (two goals), Tom Dowd and hard-working on-baller Trent Donnan, who continued his stellar season.
Harry Conway (two goals) was lively in attack and kicked a class 50m set-shot goal just before half-time.
Bartels kicked four of South Bendigo’s seven goals and was among the Bloods’ best. Mitch Rogerson was South’s best player.
