CSU brought Daniel Kerr to the Farrer League, then showed him what they can do, enjoying one of their most important wins in years with an upset over East Wagga-Kooringal at Robertson Oval on Friday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bushpigs took control in the third quarter on the way to a 17-point win over the reigning premiers, winning 10.10 (70) to 8.5 (53).
The former West Coast Eagle was the drawcard but his own teammates upstaged him with a stunning performance, and – in front of a good crowd – unearthed a new star, Vas Seker, who shone with four goals, and could’ve had more.
“Massive, massive victory for the footy club,” coach Daniel Athanitis said, over a roaring CSU changeroom.
“I made it really important not to make it about Daniel (Kerr) and I don’t think we used him overly, so it was a really good win.”
- RELATED COVERAGE: Kerr on country footy, Ben Cousins, and a tip for young players
CSU took the game to the reigning premiers from the outset and moved the ball well all night.
Goals to Seker and Shane Carroll gave the Bushpigs the lead for most of the first quarter, but three goals in the last five minutes put EWK 10 points clear.
It was the last time the Hawks strung consecutive goals together in a quarter.
The game’s dominant forwards, Seker and Hawk Chris Jackson, kicked two goals each in the next quarter-and-a-half.
But then the Bushpigs swung the game with three quick goals before three-quarter-time, through Dom Smith, Zac MacDonald and Tom Jeffery, for an 11-point lead and momentum heading into the final term.
Outscored also in the final quarter, EWK couldn’t prevent a second straight loss, having previously lost only two of their last 20 games.
Kerr’s involvement was limited to just a dozen mostly-ineffectual touches playing most of the night on a half-forward flank. But if he was the inspiration, CSU got their money’s worth.
“I was a little bit sore going into the game and I struggled, struggled to get a kick,” Kerr said.
“But it doesn’t matter how well I played if we win so, happy days.”
There was almost a flash of his magic in the third term after crumbing a contest and trying to bend a kick back towards goal, only to have it bounce the wrong way.
Rob Herzfeld played the sort of role Kerr might have, racking up the touches and continually finding himself in space. But the Pigs had contributors all over the park.
Jackson was the pick of the Hawks, proving a handful all night in the forward line, continuing his excellent comeback to first grade this season.
Full-time:
CSU (70)
2.3 3.7 7.9 10.10
EAST WAGGA-K (53)
4.1 5.3 6.4 8.5
Goals: (CSU) V Seker 4, S Carroll, D Smith, Z MacDonald, T Jeffery, M Collins, R Herzfeld; (EWK) C Jackson 2, J Stankiewicz 2, B Argus, T Pocock, K King, J Turner.
Best: (CSU) D Cleary, H Foott, T Vance, V Seker, R Herzfeld, A Skow; (EWK) C Jackson, B Absolum, T Garner, J Stankiewicz, K King, B Argus.
Gate: $4,500