LAUNCESTON produced a textbook four-quarter performance to topple an out-of-whack Glenorchy by 70 points at home on Saturday.
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The Blues out-tackled, outran and completely outscored the Magpies, 16.5 (101) to 4.7 (31) at Windsor Park to claim equal third spot with Lauderdale.
Sam Lonergan’s charges led the inside-50 count 50-30, laid 104 tackles and had 105 more possessions than the reigning premiers, who have now lost four in a row and slumped to fifth position.
Jaye Bowden opened the goalscoring with a crumbing goal after six minutes of contested play before the Blues were able to get on top with ruckman Hamish Leedham giving his on-ball teammates first use.
Rulla Kelly-Mansell, wearing number 67 in recognition of the 1967 referendum, started on fire with two goals in as many minutes to get Launceston rolling.
Jake Nunn, Nathan O’Donoghue, Jay Blackberry and Sonny Whiting then followed suit to give them a 15-point quarter-time advantage.
The Blues were accurate in front of goal, kicking six straight from as many shots in the opening term and a square 10 to half-time to lead by 37 points.
Mariner James Gillow booted the final two majors of the second stanza in a surge from Launceston and converted his third – and the only goal of the third quarter – just two minutes in.
The host’s first maiden behind came off Stewart Williams’ boot at the eight minutes mark of what was a tightly-fought 25 minutes.
Launceston kicked five goals to Glenorchy’s one in the last hurrah to polish the result as Gillow finished the match as the leading goal-scorer with four.
Kelly-Mansell was promising with three and O’Donoghue, Joe Boyce and Sonny Whiting chipped in with two each. Blackberry (33 touches and 13 tackles), Brodie Palfreyman (31 disposals), Jake Smith (35 disposals) were prolific through the middle, while utility Jake Nunn also made his presence felt as the Blues controlled the match from start to finish.
“They come at us a couple of times and the boys held up well… [and] I said to the boys that I couldn’t be prouder,” Lonergan said.
“Today was probably the first time we’ve seen our forwards apply supreme pressure as they were coming out of their half-back line.
“It was an incredible team effort across all three lines… they hit their KPIs and done what we asked of them.”
The win sees Launceston match its five-win tally from last season, just under half-way through 2017.
Glenorchy had four individual goal-kickers with Brady Quinn, Tim Butterworth and Bowden among its best contributors.
“They really come out to play and caught as off gaurd, and I thought that we were very shellshocked until the third quarter,” Pies coach Aaron Cornelius said.
“We just lack effort at times and we’re really getting exposes and teams are coming out every week to knock us off. We had a lot of skill errors and I think that was forced by their pressure.”