‘Pez’ steals show with 11-goal bag

A BIG day out topped off with a personal best goal tally – Saturday was a good day for Irymple’s Nick Pezzaniti.

The crowd at Henshilwood Oval had front-row tickets to the ‘Pez’ show as the premiership forward booted 11 goals during the Swallows’ monster 119-point win over South Mildura.

Set shots, on the run, it didn’t matter as Pezzaniti reached double figures for goals for the first time in his senior career. It also extends his lead at the top of the Tommy Bland goal-kicking table with 34, nine ahead of South’s Matthew Min.

While the quietly spoken Pezzaniti admitted it was nice to have put a few shots between the big sticks, he was quick to praise the entire team for their performance.

“Yeah it’s pretty good, the boys got a big win and that helps us with trying to get towards that top-two spot,” he said.

“We’re starting to get that cohesion together, it’s really starting to flow and getting everyone back on the park… it’s good stuff.

“We work on that (forward movement) a lot at training and our chemistry is coming along really well and, as you can see, it works.

“It’s always nice to get a few, it was just my day to be on the end of them today and they were just sticking.”

Pezzaniti has finished inside the league’s top five on the goal-kicking table in four of the past five seasons.

The dynamic forward said his team’s performance gives them confidence ahead of another match-up with Imperials this weekend.

“They’re the benchmark now, so it will be good to get out on No.1 Oval and see what we can do,” he said. “You have to challenge the best to be the best and that’s what we have to do.”

Irymple co-coach Nick Mee praised Pezzaniti’s efforts, and said the forward line functioned well in the absence of big man Jason Eagle.

“That’s what happens when you move it quick and you can be predictable, your forwards can read it well on the lead and they don’t have to double back,” he said.

“If you get it to them nice and early, which the boys from the midfield were able to do, it is good.

“We just have to back each other and play the way we play, nothing should really change for Imperials. They’ll probably bring a lot more pressure than what South did … but if we stick to our strengths we should be all good.”