Panthers break Magpies unbeaten streak

August 14, 2023 BY

Jon Meadmore fights off a defender on the run. Pictures by Sharyn Newlands.

For 18 rounds of the 2023 season, the Busselton Magpies loomed as an unstoppable force over the South West Football League.

At the same time, the Carey Park Panthers have been an unmovable object at their home ground, winning all eight games at Kelly Park, and usually quite convincingly.

So when and unstoppable force meets an unmovable object, what happens? We found out on Saturday as the Magpies took on the Panthers in a Carey Park day-nighter.

Right from the opening bounce, the field brimmed with tension. It was all back and forth in the midfield until the six-minute mark, when Carey Park’s Ryan King capitalised on a sturdy mark, converting it into the opening goal.

A contested mark slips through Liam Creighton’s fingers. Pictures by Sharyn Newlands.

Busselton’s Kayne Cox quickly responded with a skillful dribble kick from the pocket, narrowing the margin to just one point. It was soon followed by Panthers Luke Hutchinson and Simon Homsany, both scoring from deep in the pocket, establishing a ten-point advantage.

Capitalising on their impressive start, the Panthers closed the quarter with a goal from King just before the siren, stretching their lead to sixteen points at quarter time.

Undeterred, the Magpies roared back in the second quarter. Josh Lee initiated the comeback just with a goal moments into the quarter, followed by Liam Creighton with two goals that sliced the Panthers’ lead to a mere six points by halftime.

It was a hard fought contest on the ground and in the air on Saturday evening.

It was the first time the Magpies had been behind at half time since round 15, and only the second time this season. But no strangers to a third quarter surge, the Magpies came out of the sheds ready to fight.

Creighton kicked his third goal from the deep pocket, which fueled hopes of a Busselton resurgence, even as the Panthers managed to score early. Despite Busselton’s dominance in possession, Carey Park were able to match the Pies on the scoreboard, and the lead remained unbroken as the final quarter approached.

With determination, Busselton mounted a fierce onslaught in the final term, aiming to chip away at Carey Park’s advantage. However, the Panthers were up for the fight.

The quarter was goalless, with both teams only managing a few behinds. That was until Simon Homsany cemented the outcome with a late goal, securing the Panthers’ home winning streak, and felling the Busselton giant by 22 points.

It will be a long weekend for the Magpies as they stew on the loss over a bye. Having already sewn up the minor premiership, all eyes will be toward finals with only two regular season rounds to go.