Another slow start and goalless first quarter has hurt the Calder Cannons in Round 7, this time falling to the Gippsland Power by 51 points at Morwell Recreation Reserve.
Coming off two consecutive wins for the first time this season, Calder was looking to continue the momentum and climb up the NAB League ladder.
But Gippsland had other ideas and instead inflicted the Cannons’ fourth loss of the season with a 12.12 (84) to 4.9 (33) result.
Inside midfielder Jacob Martin continued his strong form with another impressive performance, racking up 33 disposals and 10 clearances.
Daniel Mott and Brodie Newman (25 and 22 touches respectively) were the other prolific ball-winners on the day.
Fergus O’Neill’s 15 disposals and four tackles also stood out, while Jackson Cardillo and Kyle Baker shared the tackling spoils with five apiece.
It was the third time in four weeks the Cannons were held goalless in the opening quarter.
Despite having just one less scoring shot for the quarter, Calder found themselves stranded 16 points behind their more clinical opponents at the first break.
The momentum then shifted in the second term as Curtis Brown, who spent much of the day forward, sailed through the away team’s only goal of the half.
Gippsland’s three behinds meant the margin was 11 points at half time.
The Cannons were much more competitive to start the second half but were for the most part out-bullied, the Power finding a way to kick seven of the term’s eight goals to open up a match-winning 47-point buffer in the blink of an eye.
It was two goals apiece in the final stanza but the damage had been done in windy conditions.
The Cannons have now shifted their focus towards this Saturday’s Round 8 clash against the Murray Bushrangers in Wangaratta.
The Bushrangers are currently 14th on the NAB League ladder with a 2-4 record but have a higher percentage (96.9) than the 3-4 Cannons.
Goal Kickers: J. Cardillo, C. Brown, J. Hotchkin, J. Kemp
Best Players: J. Martin, D. Mott, N. Gentile, F. O’Neill, J. Hotchkin, C. Brown