CRANBOURNE secured third place and the McAleese-Flanigan Cup with a convincing 35-point victory over Devon Meadows at Glover Reserve on Saturday.

The defeat assigned the unlucky Panthers to the bottom of the ladder, despite three wins and a draw against undefeated league leaders Doveton in round two.

The home side kicked against the strong wind and took the game right up to their highly fancied neighbours, but conceded two late goals to trail by 13 points at the first break.

However things quickly unravelled for the Panthers in the second term, with a combination of injuries and an extraordinary quarter from Eagle strongman Marc Holt changing the course of the game.

First key Panther forward Aaron Henneman aggravated a calf injury he carried into the game and then tragedy struck when Devon Meadows’ captain Scott Young, who was playing his first game after recovering from a broken arm, left the field after the same limb snapped again.

Meanwhile the Eagles dominated against the breeze with Holt booting three goals while his team-mates kept the wounded Panthers to only four behinds for the quarter.

The difference was 29 points at half-time and the match was all over as a contest from then on.

The Eagles extended their advantage to 56 points at the final change, but were outscored in the final term as the Panthers lifted to finish with some pride in their jumper.

Holt finished with six goals and was among his side’s best with Matt Thompson, Troy Aust and ruckman Matt Linke, however on the downside, defender Robert Beadel was reported for striking for the second time this season.

Cranbourne was well drilled and focussed and coach Doug Koop was satisfied with his side’s effort overall.

“They started well, but our second quarter was outstanding and set the game up,” he said.

“We weathered the storm a little bit in the last quarter, but overall I was happy with the effort.

“It was a solid working performance, but hopefully our best footy is yet to come.”

Daniel Rigg, Damien Hinkley and Jesse Dehey led the way for the Panthers and coach Steve O’Brien, though disappointed, praised both sides afterwards.

“Cranbourne was good and if they’re up and running in the finals, I think they can cause some damage,” he said. “We were good in the first quarter, but injuries took their toll and we had nothing left after half-time.

“We toughed it out in the last quarter and I was proud of that. We showed a bit of character in the end.”

Magpies too fit

NARRE Warren completed the home-and-away season with a runaway 39-point result over Keysborough in windy conditions at Fox Road.

Despite a significantly superior percentage, the Magpies were edged out of third place by Cranbourne and must front up to Berwick in a cutthroat elimination final next weekend.

On form the Magpies will go into that encounter with great confidence.

Kicking against a four-goal wind in the opening term, the home side booted four goals to two and led by five points at the first change before Brett Evans opened the Burra defence up in the second quarter and helped the Magpies to a 26-point lead at half-time.

On the downside, playmaker Daniel Borninkhof left the field with a hamstring injury, but that did not stop his team-mates, led by Lee Boyle and young guns Nathan Brewster, Justin Marriott and Jackson Parker, running riot through the midfield.

Keysborough coach Greg Siwes swapped his side around at the long break with effect and the Burra made a strong run at their opponents in the third term.

Clinton King got away from his minders and led his side back into the contest. Had it not been for inaccuracy in front of goal, the Burra would have turned the three-quarter time deficit of four points into a decent lead.

Narre Warren’s superior fitness told the story in the end and, led by an eight-goal haul from Evans, the Magpies cruised away to record a solid win.

Coach Matt Shinners was satisfied with his side’s season and said the focus was now on finals.

“We played well in patches, but our third quarter was a bit scratchy against the wind,” he said. “Keysborough played well at times and I was happy with our response to that.

“We’ve managed our list as best we can with injuries and unavailability and, at the end of the day, we didn’t beat the three top sides, so where we finished was right I suppose.”

ROC’s rock departs

a winner

MICK Moylan celebrated the end of a long and successful football career with a great goal from the boundary in the final term of Saturday’s 57-point victory over Tooradin at the Western Port Oval. While it was not the key to the game or even the biggest highlight, the effort typified the commitment the premiership midfielder has shown to the club for more than a decade and also the endeavour that his Kangaroo team-mates showed on the day in his honour.

Coach Kris Fletcher acknowledged the effort afterwards.

“We were terrific and sending Micky off like that was fitting, I reckon,” he said. “If we had played footy like that all year we’d be laughing, but that’s always the way, isn’t it?”

The Kangaroos led by five points at half-time after a low-scoring and at times dour half of football, but always looked to have control of the tempo in the swirly wind.

Despite the dominance of Tooradin ruckman Steve Arvanitis and centreman Beau Miller, the Kangaroos maintained a two-goal advantage at the final change and then opened the game up, running away to complete a convincing win.

Captain Ben Tivendale led from the front, while Andrew Logan, Callum White and Brendan Graham all finished the season off in good nick.

Fletcher was happy with the progress his side has made in 2009 and said the future looked exciting.

“We have made some good progress, but there’s still plenty to do,” he said. “Just to be competitive again and get the players and supporters - the whole club - believing that we do belong in this competition, was the biggest plus of the year. We know we can match it with the best sides and now we can push forward and make the finals. There’s huge room for improvement and we’ll keep playing the kids because that’s the future.”