BIG GAME FROM BIG MAN
By Robert Laidlaw

A lionhearted performance from Jason Mackenzie helped steer Central District Bulldogs home to a courageous seven point victory over Port Adelaide Magpies at Elizabeth on Saturday.

In a game where just about every player stood up, in stark contrast to a fortnight ago against the Eagles, Central worked extra hard to gain the premiership points in a season-defining game.

But it was Mackenzie who had the single most influential game by a Bulldog this season, which kept Central in the game throughout.

Going into the match with just the one ruckman, after Jonathon Griffin was recalled by the Crows, and neither Earl Shaw or Jonathon Giles were elevated from the reserves, Mackenzie rose to the challenge and was superb, with the most telling statistic his 14 one-percenters.

Everytime the ball was in dispute, it seemed like the 'Kapunda kid' was either at the bottom of a pack, laying one of his five tackles, bullocking through, or pushing the ball to safety. And in ruck he more than held his own against Port's Meiklejohn.

Perhaps with his 37 possessions, in-form on-baller Chad O'Sullivan may deservedly pick up the three Magarey Medal votes for the game, but Mackenzie played a game for the ages, and without his efforts Central probably would have lost.

Kicking with the aide of a strong breeze, which unusually was blowing to the southern end, Port had three goals on the board in the game's first six minutes, and looked in awesome form.

Central re-grouped, and only allowed one further major to quarter time, while its forwards struggled to find any precision as the wind made accuracy difficult, and at the first break the Magpies led 4.3 to 0.2.

When Ian Callinan opened the scoring in the second term with an early snapped goal, it looked like the Bulldogs were ready to run over Port, but with the tricky conditions playing havoc with the kicking to position, the Dogs struggled to find any system up forward, and at half time trailed 3.6 to 4.5.

A pumped up Central looked hard at it and composed early in the third term, and kicked the first major of the game at the northern end five minutes in, when Ryan Williams ran from half back, bounced five times, fumbled, recovered, then gave off to Brayden O'Hara, who kicked the goal of the game.

When O'Hara found Heath Lawry a few minutes later and he converted, the Bulldogs had hit the front for the first time in the game.

Port scored a goal a few minutes later, then just into time on, a wayward kick out of defence gifted another, and right on the three-quarter time siren a kick out of a pack bounced through to extend the visitors lead to 13 points.

A full out attack in the opening seven minutes of the last term saw Central post six scores, but unfortunately only one goal, and the margin was just two points. Port then attacked for a period, missing one set shot, then after a lunging tackle from Louis Hadden, was prevented from another score.

Heath Lawry was given an opportunity to put the Bulldogs in front at the 17 minute mark of the final stanza, and he made no mistake. Two minutes later, Luke Cowan, who was playing like a man possessed in the last quarter, took a good contested mark and kicked truly.

A late charge by the Magpies saw two points scored, which wasn't enough to overtake Central, with the siren signalling a hard fought win for the home side.

Highlighting Central's effort in beating Port on Saturday, the Magpies beat Woodville West Torrens the previous Saturday, after the Eagles had hammered the Doggies a fortnight ago!

Against Port Central had the majority of play and perhaps should have won by a more comfortable margin, but broke down when going forward, partly because of the tricky conditions, while losing Daniel Schell early in the second term with a groin strain did not help.

To challenge the higher placed teams the Dogs have to address their scoring deficiencies quickly, although the desire and willingness to work for all four quarters against the Magpies was perhaps the best of the season.

This Saturday's game at the Parade against Norwood is a crucial match-up for both sides, as Central is a game and a half ahead of the Redlegs (fourth) in third place. Win and the Bulldogs will be a comfortable five premiership points ahead with six games left, lose and there will only by half a game in it.

Central District 0.2 3.6 5.6 8.11 (59 pts.)
Port Adelaide 4.3 4.5 7.7 7.10 (52 pts.)
Best: Mackenzie, O'Sullivan, Thomas, Ware, Williams, Callinan, Havelberg, Slade, Lawry.
Goals: Cowan 2, Lawry 2, Callinan, Schell, O'Sullivan, O'Hara.

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