Match Report: Southerners v Kojonup
A DECISIVE third term by Southerners, in which they slammed on five unanswered majors, was sufficient to keep the Kojonup Cougars at bay at Kojonup Oval on Saturday.
Southerners went on to record a comfortable 38-point victory 15.6 (96) to 8.10 (58).
From the outset, the intensity of the contest was evident, albeit with the reigning premiers struggling to take advantage of possessions, registering a string of points which allowed a revamped Souths' outfit take the early initiative.
Souths' band of recruits including Brett Dobson, Marc Bevis and Michael Robinson all contributed to the visitor's drive through the midfield and up forward where they orchestrated the run forward to allow Tim Lyster to make his presence felt with some strong marks and a run of majors.
The Cougars settled into their stride with Brad Ashton, Baden Reid and Aaron Hartnup all chiming in to wrestle back some control but many undisciplined incidences undid many promising forward thrusts, leaving them trailing by a single point at the break.
With Marty Sebire playing a free-wheeling role across half back, South's embarked on an all-out assault on the Cougars' defence.
Sebire was in sublime form while Lyster, Leigh Scaini, Robinson and Dobson all had an influence to ensure the momentum swung dramatically in the visitors' favour, streaking out to a 33-point lead.
The Cougars simply did not have any answer to South's many options to goal as a myriad of players registered majors to put the game out of reach of the home side.
The final term was an even affair with both sides hitting the scoreboard but the damaging third term was sufficient for South's to hang their first victory of the 2015 season on.
MBT Award: *Marty Sebire (Southerners) 3, Tim Lyster (Southerners) 2, Brad Ashton (Kojonup) 1.
