KANGAROO Flat outlasted Maryborough in a tough slog at a sodden Dower Park with constant drizzle falling match-long in the BFNL on Saturday.
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The Princes Park Pies turned in one of their best games so far in 2024, but although they were reasonably close at the main break the Roos blew them away with an 11-goal-to-two second half.
The Pies went into the game with six Roos players in their line-up, a generous loan which ensured the senior match would go ahead.
In attack the Roos had three main targets in the front half with Harry Whitty (five), Jack Lefroy (four) and Jake Hywood (three) contributing 12 valuable majors.
Add in dynamic midfielder Luke Ellings' three and the Maryborough defence was stretched to breaking point as the Flat charged home to a 19.12 (126) to 7.6 (48) victory.
And yet the Magpies were only 12 points down at the first change with co-coach Matt Johnston, booting two majors, on target at the scoreboard end.
The Roos had nailed two majors in the opening six minutes and added three more by the first break.
But they got going in the second term as a high up-and-under floater from Hywood sneaked home.
And then after a hectic melee in the forward pocket under the scoreboard Lefroy nailed a set shot from centre half-forward to hand the Roos a 21-point half-time lead.
The Dower Park lights were on as the third term got underway.
The extra vision seemed to spur the Roos as they piled on an early burst of five goals to nil with Hywood's set shot sailing through and Whitty also busy inside 50m in the full-forward area.
Ethan Roberts and Ellings were prolific ball-gatherers for the Roos as their teammates made sure the four premiership points would be added to the Flat's 2024 total.
Straight after he'd nailed a goal from a set shot Hywood was at the other end of the ground and ran the ball over the boundary line under the scoreboard to frustrate a Maryborough forward move.
The only major scorer for the Princes Park Pies was Logan Howell who'd drilled an early goal before the Roos got going.
And then the Roos finished off the match with a four-goal final quarter burst as Angus Grant was on target from the pavilion half-forward flank followed up by an Ellings set shot from the opposite flank.
Lefroy collected a skidding ball close to the goalmouth and from point blank range booted Flat's 18th goal.
At match-end Roo officials and well-known supporters wouldn't hear of any criticism of the loan of six senior players to Maryborough.
The general consensus was that it was beneficial to approve the move to allow the senior game to proceed after a number of young Roos took the field in Maryborough colours to ensure the under-18 curtain raiser went ahead.
One longtime Flat fan, who didn't want his name used, said it was inappropriate to criticise or slam a rival club because "we've got enough problems of our own."
