EFNL 2025: Inside Rowville's third-quarter slaughter of Balwyn
Just 15 points separated the pair at half-time.
What followed was a third-quarter blitz which put the rest of the competition on notice.
Rowville's 10.14 (74) to 6.8 (44) victory over Balwyn on Saturday plummeted the reigning premier to 0-2, while keeping its own record unblemished to start 2025.
Rowville senior coach Ben Wise said his side's third term – spearheaded by midfield bull Anthony Brolic – came off the back of a standout contested display.
'It was as good a contested game as we'd played in 18 months, I reckon,' Wise said.
'Led strongly by our captain 'Brol' and our leaders on every line, they set the tone early.
'We had a big focus knowing they were coming off a loss, unfurling the flag and Anzac weekend, outside of just coming up against the reigning premiers.
'I'd been around Balwyn a long time (as a player) so I know the ground really well and how you've got to play it, so I was able to get the boys focused throughout the week and train really well.
'We had a couple of sole focuses on our contest and pressure and I thought if we brought that for four quarters, we'd be really hard to beat.'
Team of the Year ruckman Nik Schoenmakers also featured among the best afield alongside Jesse Eickhoff, Tyson Sruk, Jayden Martingale and Cooper MacDonald.
VFL-listed talent Lachlan Wynd finished with four goals, while Brolic kicked two.
Wise said his side shifted gears to force a 6.6 to 1.0 third quarter to all but seal the deal.
'We just found a different way to win – the game didn't allow us to play our normal brand of footy and fast pace and slick ball-movement, high transition stuff … it was just really contested,' he said.
'The third quarter we probably moved the ball better than what they did and that allowed us to bang on some goals.'
Rowville hosts Vermont in Round 3.
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