BATHURST Bushrangers put the foot down on the accelerator in the final quarter against Orange Tigers last week and they didn’t relent on Saturday when they drove over the Dubbo Demons by 113 points.
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The Bushrangers travelled to Dubbo for the first grade Central West AFL competition to look for win number two from as many games.
They were only tested in brief moments as they went on to win 23-14-152 to 5-9-39.
Bushrangers kicked six goals to one in the opening quarter to apply the squeeze on the Dubbo defence from the outset, racing to a 41-8 lead. With five behinds it could have been even more.
It was more of the same in the second quarter and the Bushrangers went into the half-time break leading 11-8-74 to 2-2-14.
Dubbo looked their most competitive during the third quarter of play, the only quarter in which they put home more than a solitary goal.
They also held Bathurst to their lowest quarter total of four goals.
The hosts couldn’t maintain the competitive streak though, as Bushrangers blasted eight majors home in the final quarter to blow the margin into the triple figures.
Tim Hunter was responsible for a third of the visitors score line as he kicked home eight goals in the big win.
Bushrangers co-coach Matt Archer took his side into the Dubbo game with caution, despite his team racking up some big scores against them last year.
“At home they can be extremely hard. Last year they got within two or three goals of us and this year we didn’t really know what kind of team to expect,” Archer said.
“I’m happy with how we’re going, but there’s still a few things that we have to work on at training.
“Everyone is looking out for each other well though ... and that leadership group this year has been fantastic.”
Archer was pleased to see more control return to the Bushrangers game around the middle of the park.
“The effort around the ground was great,” he said.
“At Orange we were very small around the centre of the ground and they were a lot taller than us, but Harry Bowden in his first game of first grade was fantastic.
“He was given a shot and he took it with both hands.”
“Daniel Crofts got players player and he was great in defence. Jordan Price is only young but he was running great through the midfield.”
BATHURST BUSHRANGERS 23-14-152 (Tim Hunter 8, Tom Markey 2, Bill Watterson 2 goals) defeated DUBBO DEMONS 5-9-39 (Kim Woodman, Mitchell Mckechnie, Tim Ferguson, Adam Barraclough, Jerryn Biles goals)
