By Gary Stocks

Fresh beginnings are never easy. And the level of distress the emotional drain of leaving the home of North Beach on July 13 cannot be measured.

For everyone associated with the club, that site has been the club’s identity. Vacating it, in the name of progress, was, quite rightly, a deep whole-of-club focus.

This week, however, thanks to the generosity of Sorrento-Duncraig Junior Football Club – a club with a strong connection to the Beach – the training base for the senior teams became Percy Doyle Oval. And there is little doubt the quality of the lighting contributed to an excellent night on the track last Thursday.

That was important in the preparation for the challenge of confronting the club against Maddington at Harmony Fields and the results were obvious, with the O’Rourke Realty A-Grade and Credent Financial Services A-Reserves winning by a combined total of around 40 goals.

The A-Grade team consolidated a position in top three while the A-Reserves galvanised their position at the top of the table.

After consecutive losses to Mt Lawley and Wesley Curtin, the Beach needed to return to the winners’ list as a healthy gap it enjoyed over the chasing teams in fourth and fifth began to close.

Travelling to Maddington was expected to be a challenge, but the Beach controlled the game from the outset and produced an irresistible performance to win by 97 points – 20.10 (130) to 4.9 (33).

The team performance could be measured by the fact there were 12 individual goal scorers, but North Beach also won in virtually every position on the ground – with centre half-back Kyle Holden and wingman Mitch Dwyer standout performers.

Ruckman Joe Boys gave North Beach first use of the football, while Beau Witheridge, Kyle Riemann and Matt Power relished that service, forwards Josh McGinnity and Ben Wilson regained eye-catching form and defensively the Tigers were miserly.

Aside from the dominant effort of Holden, tall defender Tim Langsford performed an effective shut-down role on dangerous Bulls forward Haydn Yarran, while Jake Brazill and Adrian Clarke found the balance between defence and efficient offensive rebound.

There is a bye in the senior grades this week and the Beach will be looking to build momentum in the last month of qualifying rounds as a launching pad to the finals.  

The A-Reserves won 25.12 (162) to 2.3 (15) and as the scoreline would indicate they were never under threat.

Cale Potts had a day out, kicking 11 goals, while Jacob Griffiths continued his outstanding form with four goals,  but was also terrific through the midfield.

The Beach had dominant players all over the ground with Kris Hackett, Kade Golisano, Andrew Langsford, Liam Vardy and Michael Collins all producing first class efforts.

Most satisfying was the way the  Beach finished off the game, with a blistering nine-goal last quarter.

The Nuchange Phil Scott Colts were forced to work hard for their victory against Maddington, a far more dangerous team at home than they are when traveling. Eventually the class and talent of the Beach won through, scoring an important three-goal victory – 11.7 (73) to 7.7 (49).

The Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade produced a solid 20-point win over Kalamunda in a hard-fought contest, where the Beach remained committed to the cause despite the opposition’s tactics.

Mitch Christie and Daniel Wheeler were prominent through the midfield, while Jake Carter continued his solid form, Dean Wilson, Jamie Cosgrove and Shaheed Duke were influential throughout.

The Hybrid Linings D1-Reserves dominated in a 13-goal victory against the same opposition, with veteran Ian Tester turning back the clock with a commanding display.

In addition, Adam Gangemi,, Simon Wilson, Chris Langsford, who was outstanding through the midfield, Mick Wallis and Pierce Keatingh also excelled.  

Unfortunately , the Express Bins E2-Grade paid for goal-front inaccuracy in losing to Willetton, while the Tuck Plumbing Brett Jones Colts lost a nail-biter against Wanneroo by four points.

Details
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach       5.2          12.4        17.5        20.10     130
Maddington       1.2          2.5           2.6          4.9          33
Goals – North Beach: Cranley, Foreman 3; Jarvis, Boys, Wilson, McGinnity 2; Riemann, McComiskie, Harwood, Witheridge, Sajich, Brazill 1.
Best – North Beach: Holden, Dwyer, McGinnity, T Langsford, Riemann, Boys, Brazill, Witheridge.

Credent Financial Services A-Reserves
North Beach       5.3          11.5        16.9        25.12     162
Maddington       0.1            1.1          1.2          2.3          15
Goals – North Beach: Potts 11; Griffiths 4; Taylor 3; Heap, Nunan, Walton, Golisano, Bowdell, Cownie, Melvin 1.
Best – North Beach: Potts, Griffiths, Hackett, Golisano, A Langsford, Vardy, Collins.

Nuchange Phil Scott Colts
North Beach 11.7 (73) def Maddington 8.7 (55)

Tuck Plumbing Brett Jones Colts
Wanneroo 7.11 (53) def North Beach 7.7 (49)

Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade
North Beach       3.1          4.5          4.7          9.8          62
Kalamunda         1.2          2.3          3.3          6.5          41
Goals – North Beach: Kickett, Hogg, Macdonald 2; Christie, Duke 1.
Best – North Beach: Christie, Wheeler, R Carter, D Wilson, Cosgrove, Duke.

Hybrid Linings D1-Reserves
North Beach       5.1          8.2          9.3          14.4        88
Kalamunda         0.0          1.2          1.4            1.4        10
Goals – North Beach: Bramley 4; van der Kraats, Smith 2; Langsford, Mirabile, M Gangemi, Ammon, O’Neil, Premic.
Best – North Beach: A Gangemi, Tester, S Wilson, C Langsford, Wallis, Keating.

Express Bins E2-Grade
Willetton 9.8 (62) def North Beach 3.11 (29)
#Full details of all matches will be published as they become available