Written by Jarryd Barca
Cannons to face Dragons in semis
Calder has surged it’s way through to this weekend’s semi finals with a late-storming 36-point win over Dandenong on Sunday – it’s first win in a final since 2014.
Trailing by one point at three-quarter time, the Cannons kicked six unanswered goals in the final term to book their date with the highly-fancied Sandringham Dragons this weekend.
The Cannons trailed by as much as 21 points midway through the second quarter at Ikon Park but booted 10 of the last 11 goals to secure the 11.9 (75) to 5.9 (39) elimination final victory.
Perennial ball-winners Daniel Mott and Sam Ramsay flexed their draft credentials with 34 and 35 touches respectively, while counterpart Ned Gentile’s 19 disposals and five tackles played a big part.
Jeremy O’Sullivan’s aerial prowess in the second half was gargantuan, planting his fingerprints all over Calder’s second-half resurgence.
Captain Brodie Newman’s influence was also profound, leading a defence which stood tall in a truly even performance.
Mott, Jackson Cardillo, Josh Eyre and Jake Sutton were the side’s four multiple goal-kickers.
It was the first time all season every player in the side laid at least one tackle – Harry Jones’ eight the most.
Calder got off to a fast start and early lead when Mott calmly converted the first set shot of the day.
But an inaccurate Dandenong, who played fast, direct footy, held the three-point slender advantage at quarter time.
The Stingrays continued to put their foot down in the second quarter and signs were looking ominous when Bigoa Nyuon, William Lewis and Clayton Gay combined with three goals to stretch the margin to 21 points.
But the Cannons soon found their rhythm, with late goals to Jack Keeping and Josh Eyre giving Calder the momentum heading into the main break.
The Stingrays extended their lead to 14 points with a goal in just over a minute of play in the second half, but it proved to be their last major of the day.
Goals to Ramsay and Jackson Cardillo capped off a momentum-shifting term from the Cannons who had plenty of petrol tickets left despite trailing at the last change of ends.
Eyre saw an open goal face early in the last and capitalised to put the Cannons in front for the first time since the opening quarter – and from there it was capitulation.
Five more majors capped off a marvellous 57-point turnaround from the second quarter as the Cannons fended off the Stingrays for the second time in 2019.
Calder will return to Ikon Park this Saturday to take on Sandringham in a semi final, where the winner will face the Oakleigh Chargers in a preliminary final.