By Liam Twomey
WESTERN Jets have missed a golden opportunity to progress to the TAC Cup preliminary finals, instead having their season ended at the hands of the Calder Cannons by 15 points.
Like two prizefighters competing for a championship, the early parts of the match were spent with both teams feeling each other out.
Calder went into half time with their noses in front after kicking the last three goals of the quarter to open up a 10-point lead.
However, after the main break the real fireworks started. A fired-up and effective Jets outfit emerged from the rooms and began to challenge their more highly-fancied opponents.
They dominated all aspects of the third quarter, kicking five goals to one to secure a 19-point lead as the possibility of a straight sets exit for the Cannons looked imminent.
Western Jets coach Steve Kretiuk was pleased with the football his side produced in the third quarter.
“We certainly put a fair bit of pressure on them. We had 20 tackles and turned the footy over in our offensive third which resulted in us having a few more scores,” Kretiuk said.
Despite having all the momentum heading into the final quarter, it was like a different team emerge from the Jets huddle. They were slow, ineffective and undisciplined around the ground and subsequently lost the lead.
After two minutes of play Calder had kicked their first goal, within five minutes they had kicked their second and within 10 minutes they were back in front.
The Jets will be left to rue two 50-metre penalties that were given away that resulted in goals.
“When you’ve got an experienced outfit like Calder they were always going to take it up to us and I suppose we didn’t adapt to the pressure as well as we should,” Kretiuk said.
“We gave away two 50-metre penalties that resulted in goals and that really handed them the momentum back in the game.”
“Those two 50s really cut deep. All of a sudden they have their tails up and we lost a bit of composure there especially going forward.
Calder secured the victory 12.15 (87) to 11.6 (72).
Kretiuk was disappointed with his side’s fade out in the final term after playing so well for most of the match.
“What we didn’t have was 22 contributors and that’s what cost us throughout the day,” he said.
“We really needed to calm down and take a depth breath in that last quarter but I think the occasion got to us.”
Despite the loss the season will go down as a success for the Jets, who won their first finals match for 16 years last week.
“Hopefully we walk away from this game and this season gaining a bit of respect from the competition,” Kretiuk said.
“There is no use sulking over what happened you have to learn from it and that’s what good players do.
If you put yourself in that situation again in six or seven month’s time how are you going to react.
“They are a great playing group. We have had great leaders at the club and we are really going to miss those guys.
