CLUNES demonstrated on Saturday that it is in awesome form leading into the finals series of the B&D Technolgies Central Highlands Football League in three week's time.
The Magpies trounced the Cats at Newlyn in the last half, extending a 20-point lead to 94 points - the Owen Weatherley show continuing with a bag of 10 goals.
Clunes ran all over the Newlyn defence in the last half to win 24.14 (158) to 10.4 (64).
The century goalkicking colossus Weatherley kicked three in the first two in the second, two in the third and three in the final term.
After the siren, the joint coach told The Courier: "As I said to them at halftime, with a middle-of-the-road side like Newlyn, you have to lose them in the third quarter. To their credit they put up a good first half, but our fitness and class in the second
half showed out."
The only way Newlyn was going to beat the Cats was to have Weatherley handcuffed to the wire rope boundary fence. Even then Weatherley kicked two first-quarter goals from the boundary line on his non-preferred side.
He also kicked the opening goal after a linking pass from Talbot recruit Glen McGuire, who kicked three goals himself from half forward and continually sent the ball in to the Clunes forwards, including Mick Bourke.
The strong hands of Mick Bourke fastened onto numerous marks and his five goals were a treat to watch.
The four "H's" - joint coach and last year's Geoff Taylor league medal winner Jason Hill, captain Glenn Handley, Justin Harris and Bobby Hind were the prime movers out of the middle.
Hind was tough under the packs, smothering, tackling and direct with his foot-work.
Handley seemed to be everywhere, and a great handball intercept against Newlyn coach Nick Preston set up another Weatherley goal.
The only time Newlyn looked like they meant business was when Shane Edwards kicked four goals in the first half - two of them coming from indiscretions from a Clunes player.
Junior-aged Dan McKinnon was a highlight for Newlyn in the ruck against James Sewell - Clunes opting for first-game-back-from-injury No 1 follower Scott Adam to eventually go into the ruck.
Adam is attempting to get some match fitness before the finals and ran off half back for much of the first half, including a stint on Weatherley.
Clunes made two late inclusions increasing its three-man interchange bench to the allowable four with Shawn Slater, who played in the reserves and kicked a goal in the seniors.
Key backman Jason Marnell also made his comeback game in defence and up forward, replacing Luke Griffin in the selected side.
While Newlyn had plenty of contributors, none more determined than Scott McKay, there were only bits of brilliance from a large number of players, which contributed to the avalanche of goals against them in the second half.
Hind's second goal was a sealer late in the third term, quickly followed up by Weatherley's seventh and Bourke and Hill with two more.
Clunes had its annual ball on Saturday night and plays Buninyong next Saturday while Newlyn has the bye.
Email a friend