Three games, three hat-tricks, that’s the stark facts behind Anthony Giorgi and his incredible start to the CFL Season 3 campaign as the Golden Boot leader bagged a third successive treble as UC Stars demolished Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 10-2 at the Queanbeyan Indoor Sports Centre.
Giorgi required only three second-half minutes to achieve the feat, grabbing a perfect hat-trick by netting in the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th minutes as the Stars rocketed into a ten-goal lead against their beleaguered opponents.
Michael Rinaudo had opened the scoring in only the third minute of the action, and the Stars, one of the favourites for the title, had extended that lead before the interval via Luca Macor and a double from Nick Pratezina as they lead by four at the interval.
After Giorgi got going, there was more to come from Cale Brown, who netted twice, and Macor again as the score reached double figures before the Stars took their foot off the gas allowing late consolations from Andrew Fox and William Ness to give the young Power outfit something to take home.
A goal from Brett Forward three minutes from time helped West Canberra Lightning to an exciting 5-4 win over North Canberra Fire in a thriller at Daramalan College. Forward chested home a Stephen Domenici pass to win the clash after the Fire had come from 4-1 down to draw level.
Lightning had started superbly and taken the lead when Domenici struck a wonderful goal, only for the lead to be swept away as Ethan Yuen, on debut, equalised for the Fire with a far-post finish.
West Canberra then took control as Josh Gaspari restored their lead, before Nik Popovich increased it to 3-1. A quite brilliant fourth followed as Domenici broke forward and lifted a sublime finish over Wilson Howden as Lightning suddenly looked in complete control.
But Fire are made of stern stuff and refused to buckle forcing their way back into the contest as Yuen completed a debut hat-trick and Riley Brown ensured that the match went into the closing stages deadlocked. Domenici though had the final say, creating the winner for Forward, as Lightning squeezed home.
A strong start for South Canberra Swift ultimately saw them ease to an 8-3 win over ANU Apex to keep their challenge for the title on track as Marco Gayer and Romeo netted twice apiece.
Swift got off to a flier as they netted inside the opening minute through Gayer, but a response from Apex was immediate as Bruno Melo slotted in a pass from Braulio Melo to level within seconds.
That appeared to stoke the fires in the Swift as they suddenly upped the ante and a penalty from Alessandro Pena, awarded for handball against Sherab Guo, was followed by goals from Romeo and a fourth of a season from Patrick Shore.
Zac Peelgrane pulled one back for Apex and they looked set to trail by two at the break only for Romeo to thunder home an outrageous free-kick with the outside of the boot to restore the three-goal cushion at the interval.
Apex then withstood a Swift assault, scoring on the break, through Braulio Melo, however that incensed Swift who struck three goals within forty-odd seconds from Fernando, Jackson Paesler and Gayer to seal the win.
RESULTS
QP Power 2 (Fox 34’, Ness 36’) UC Stars 10 (Rinaudo 3’, Macor 10’, 34’, Pratezina 13’, 18’, Giorgi 22’, 23’, 24’, Brown 27’, 30’)
West Canberra Lightning 5 (Domenici 9’, 17’, Gaspari 12’, Popovich 14’, Forward 37’) North Canberra Fire 4 (Yuen 11’, 23’, 34’, Brown 26’)
ANU Apex 3 (Bruno Melo 1’, Peelgrane 15’, Braulio Melo 37’) South Canberra Swift 8 (Gayer 1’, 38’, Pena 2’ (p), Romeo 6’, 20’, Shore 7’, Fernando 37’, Paesler 37’)
TABLE
P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
1 | UC Stars | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 12 | +12 | 6 |
2 | South Canberra Swift | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 17 | +7 | 6 |
3 | West Canberra Lightning | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 6 |
4 | North Canberra Fire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 3 |
5 | ANU Apex | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 17 | -12 | 0 |
6 | QP Power | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 22 | -17 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
9: Anthony GIORGI (Stars)
6: ROMEO (Swift)
4: Marco GAYER (Swift), Nicholas PRATEZINA (Stars), Patrick SHORE (Swift)
3: Riley BROWN (Fire), Alessandro PENA (Swift), Nik POPOVICH (Lightning), Marko RATHOUSKI (Fire), Nicholas SUBASIC (Lightning), Ethan YUEN (Fire)
2: Cale BROWN (Stars), Stephen DOMENICI (Lightning), FERNANDO (Swift), Andrew FOX (Power), Josh GASPARI (Lightning), Maxx GREEN (Fire), Jayde JAMES-WARD (Stars), Luca MACOR (Stars), Phakedi MANDA (Stars), Nathen MEGIC (Lightning), Braulio MELO (Apex), Zac PEELGRANE (Apex), Samuel THOMSON (Fire)
1: Keiren ALLEN (Power), Jonathan CIMINELLI (Fire), Marcus CRISPE (Swift), Brett FORWARD (Lightning), Brandon HAWKER (Fire), Bruno MELO (Apex), William NESS (Power), Andre OLIVIERA (Power), Jackson PAESLER (Swift), Pedro PEREIRA (Power), Michael RINAUDO (Stars), Michael SOUTHAM (Lightning), Tony SPASESKI (Swift), Ryan STRAUB (Swift), Jake WILSENER (Stars), Doug WOODIWISS (Swift), Own GOALS