The whiff of spring in the air again proved a powerful elixir for North Beach with the A-grade team scoring a stunning  111-point win over West Coast Cowan last Saturday at Charles Riley Reserve.

As has become the custom in recent years, as the calendar sweeps from July to August, the Beach stepped up their campaign towards the finals. Places in the starting line-up are hotting up and it showed in the slick performance with every player contributing.

Steve “Thumper” Bandy was lively on a wing, John Turner gave good service through the middle and Josh McGinnity, as always, was damaging at half-forward. In addition, Mitch Holbrook banged on six goals while Chris Pearce kicked three.

One of the highlights was the goal-kicking feats of regular defender Luke Smith, who pushed forward to kick a couple.

After a relatively even start, the young West Coast team could not match it physically with their more mature and season-hardened opponents.

A-Grade details
North Beach       6.3          10.7        17.9        23.14     152
West Coast         3.3          4.3         5.5           6.5        41      
GOALS – North Beach: M Holbrook 6; McGinnity, C Pearce 3; Smith, Bajars, Riemann 2; Bryan, Bollen, Heap, Bandy, Witheridge 1.
BEST – North Beach: Bandy, Turner, McGinnity, Holbrook, Heap, Bajars, C Pearce, Smith.

The A-reserves also produced an outstanding four-quarter effort against another top five side, with a 49-point win over West Coast Cowan.

After an even first half, the Beach took charge kicking eight goals to one in the second half to cement a top three finish and the all-important double chance. As it stands the Michael Pratt-coached reserves have a two-game cushion on the third placed North Fremantle.

On Saturday, the class of Scott Holbrook shone through while Ben O’Donnell and Andrew Langsford were consistent four-quarter performers. 

A-Reserve details
North Beach       1.3          4.7          5.8          12.11     83
West Coast         2.0          4.0          5.2          5.4         34
GOALS – North Beach: S Holbrook 2; Justin Sajich, Hendriks, Jamie Sajich, Pitman, Bebich, Leggat, O’Donnell, Weston, Traeger, A Langsford 1.
BEST – North Beach: S Holbrook, O’Donnell, A Langsford.

A win is a win. And as far as coach Steve Morrissey was concerned that was about all that was achieved in beating one of the competition’s battling teams, Wembley.

His team did enough to rack up four premiership points but he was not satisfied with the effort, save for a few notable exceptions.

Ryan Chapman kicked four goals and Kurt McKain chimed in with three while Shane Piggott, Tom Scantlebury, Dylan McEvoy and Jason Plant also played strongly.

E-Grade details
North Beach       1.2          7.7          9.8          11.12     78
Wembley            3.5          3.5          3.5          6.5         41
GOALS – North Beach: Chapman 4; McKain 3; Vry 2; O’Mara, McEvory, Curry.
BEST – North Beach: Piggott, Scantlebury, Morling, Plant, McEvoy, Chapman.

The E-Reserves produced a near faultless four-quarter display against Wembley, winning by 142 points.

Hayden French had a day out with 11 goals while Adam Austin kicked four and Greg Hayward weighed in with three goals. French and co capitalised on the work of Michael Plowman through the middle while Liam Vardy, Jason Ives and Baden Arcus were also under notice.  

E-Reserves details
North Beach       5.3          11.5        16.8        22.11     143
Wembley            0.0           0.1          0.1         0.1            1
GOALS – North Beach: French 11; Austin 4; Hayward 3; Leon, Vardy, Ives, Seeds 1.
BEST – North Beach: French, Plowman, Austin, Vardy, Ives, Arcus.

The G-Grade, looking for a victory to sustain a late push for the finals, went down to Bassendean in an absorbing contest.

The effort could not be questioned, but Bassendean withstood the spirited challenge and won by 16 points.

Scott Brown, with two goals, was the only multiple goal-kicker while Tony Mirabile, Luke Ferreri and James Hay-Hendry were among the best in a very good team effort.G-Grade details
Bassendean       2.1          5.3          8.5          11.9        75
North Beach       2.5          4.8          7.9          8.11       59
GOALS – North Beach: Brown 2; Mirabile, Pike, Carroll, Wills, Bunn 1.
BEST – North Beach: Mirabile, Ferreri, Hay-Hendry.

The Phil Scott colts, looking for an important percentage kick in the tight battle at the top of the table, got precisely what they were looking for against West Coast Cowan.

The West Coast boys produced a spirited first half, before the Beach ran away with the contest, kicking nine goals to one after the main break on the way to a 78-point triumph.

Sam Keely kicked seven goals in a fine display of forward play, capitalising on the opportunities generated by an outstanding midfield effort from Steve Mansfield, Brayden Couper, Jordan Shadbolt, Alex Billi and Matt McKain.   

Phil Scott colts
North Beach       5.3         7.6          10.9        16.10     106
West Coast         2.2          3.3          3.4           4.4          28        
GOALS – North Beach: Keely 7; Billi, Waldock 2; Couper, Mansfield, McKain, Osborne, Stott.
BEST – North Beach: Mansfield, Whitbread, Stretch, Couper, Shadbolt, Keely, McKain, B Clark.

The Brett Jones colts team travelled to Dalkeith Oval to tackle the unbeaten Collegians and after a tight early struggle could not stay with the competition benchmark.

Even at three-quarter time the Beach was trailing by just four goals, but the class of the opposition shone through in the final term as the Beach fell to a 59-point loss.

Callum Robinson, Michael Italiano, Saxon Graham, Chris Fullarton and Rory Fagan all worked tirelessly, but needed a little more support to carry the Tigers over the line.

Brett Jones Colts
Collegians           1.3          6.6          8.8          14.9        93
North Beach       1.3          2.5          4.8          4.10        34
GOALS – Robinson, Taafe, Italiano, Graham.
BEST – Robinson, Italiano, Graham, Fullarton, Fagan, Duckworth, Hopkins, Howell.