The Coburg Lions development side have run over the top of the Northern Blues on a beautiful, but windy Saturday for football at Preston City Oval.
The development side overcame a sluggish start and played a brilliant back half of football to get their second win of the season.
Michael Ercolano and Tom McConville lead the midfield effort, while Stillman and Bamblett were solid in their return to football.
The Blues got the jump on Coburg, kicking two early goals, taking full advantage of the breeze pushing towards the city end of the ground.
The Lions adjusted to the conditions with Mark Orr taking a big grab to get one back, however the Blues increased the tackling pressure, putting on three more goals to lead by 26 points at quarter time.
The Lions showed better intent to start the second, moving the ball quickly with the aid of the breeze, stunning the Northern defence, Cauchi and Ercolano reducing the margin to 12 points.
Michael Ercolano then caught fire, kicking a goal off the back of a stoppage and backing it up immediately with a goal from the centre square to tie scores up late in the second quarter.
The Lions stepped it up in the middle putting the Blues defence under immense pressure resulting in further goals to Cauchi, Free and Hill.
The defensive effort was not to be forgotten, the back 6 keeping the home side scoreless as we went into the half leading by 20 points.
The third quarter began in a tug of war with both sides grinding at stoppage after stoppage, trying to gain the ascendency.
Good tackling pressure in the midfield from Merlo and McConville allowed Coburg to lock the ball in their half, however, were only able to kick 1.4 as the wind picked up at the Cramer street end.
Another solid quarter from the defensive half ensured the Blues would only kick two goals with the wind. J.Iacobaccio snared a handy goal after the siren to give the visitors an 18 point lead at three quarter time.
The Lions shot out of the block in the last as Matthew Merlo goaled twice in a row to extend the lead to 31 points.
The visiting team put the screws in late to run out the game eventual 57 point winners.
Coburg Lions: 17.14.116 Northern Blues 8.11.59
Best: Ercolano, McConville, Hill, Corigliano, Sutherland, Cauchi
Goals: Cauchi, Ercolano 3, Iacobaccio, Urquhart, Hill, Merlo 2, Orr, Free, McRorie
