Hawks hit toothless Tigers.
From a local Coburg paper
Moreland Community News.
Hawks hit toothless Tigers
By Lance Jenkinson
COBURG Tigers remain winless and are a long way
from the brilliant form which saw them contest
a preliminary final in the 2002 VFL season.
New coach Paul Spargo and his team copped another
whipping, this time at the hands of the Box Hill
Hawks, who dished out a comprehensive 63-point
belting to leave the Tigers to lick their wounds.
The Burgers cannot handle the intensity of high-
scoring shoot-outs as they lack height in the
forward (line) and a player who can take the match
by the scruff of the neck.
General manager Michael Roberts said: "Our game
plan from last year has changed a lot. We weren't
a real shoot-out team with high scores, we were
more your bullocking team.
"This year, we've started to have shoot-outs with
teams and unfortunately I don't think we have the
firepower up forward to do it.
"It looked good in the first term, but in the second
term Box Hill just ran all over the top of us."
The Tigers played their most impressive football of
the season in the opening term as they opened up
a four-point least at quarter time.
Key position player Royce Vardy was thrown into the
forward line with good effect as he slotted two
goals and took strong marks.
"We got off to a very good start, we were running
well and Royce Vardy was playing up forward for the
first time this year and he was playing really well
taking some strong grabs and kicking a couple of
goals early." Roberts said.
From that point, the Hawks lifted their midfield
intensity and it showed on the statistics sheet as
10 Tigers failed to get double-figure disposals.
Five of those players were midfielders.
Craig Biddiscombe was certainly not part of that group
as he collected 38 touches and his name is likely
to bob up at the Richmond selection table.
Coburg is hoping Richmond-listed younster Jay *smile*
can overcome his groin problems to play a major role
in the forward line this season.
The 19-year-old 192cm forward from Woodville-West
Torrens in SA has the potential to be the
"next big thing" at Tigerland, but could find it
difficult in his first VFL season as he faces a
number of quality AFL defenders.
"It has probably been a deficiency at the club for
the past couple of years," Roberts said.
"I think we've probably got to put a fair bit of
time into young Jay *smile*.
"He's a target up forward, but especially against
the more senior AFL players that are playing in
VFL football at the moment, he's probably got a
fair way to come."
It does not get any easier for the hapless
Tigers as they travel down the Princes Highway
for a clash with reigning VFL premiers Geelong
at Skilled Stadium.
The first bouce is at 11.45 on Saturday, not
2pm as previously fixtured.
VFL SCOREBOARD
Box Hill Hawks 21.10 (136)
Coburg Tigers 11.7 (73).
Goals: Vardy 4, *smile* 2, Biddiscombe, Dragecevic,
McGrath, Mills, Talbot.
Best: Biddiscombe, Holland, Carlson, Mills, Kuret,
Carlyle.
Ladder: PortMelbourn 16, Sandringham 12, Springvale 12,
Box Hill Hawks 12, Williamstwon 8, Tasmania 8, Frankston 8
Werribee 8, Bendigo Bombers 4, Geelong 4, Northern Bullants 0,
Coburg Tigers 0, North Ballarat 0.
Shocking At The Min 