Coaches Report R12
A's; B's & C's vs Port Districts; D vs Henley; E vs Lockelys & LOSA vs Seaton
A Grade Match Report: Round 12 v Pt Districts
Perception in sport is an interesting topic and one which resonates when I reflect on this game. Road trips are always a challenge yet this season we have won all our games away prior to Saturday, which definitely gave and gives us confidence when we hit the road. They, our opponents are littered with quality players and have been the benchmark in the Division over the past four seasons. We, are young and emerging at the level, so it makes some sense there is a perception around performance and outcome. To be frank I had been hearing it all week externally and on the fringes.
We have been working on starting well in games to build scoreboard presence alas this evaded us again in the opening quarter. While the scoreboard wasn’t in where we wanted it to be we knew we had a game on our hands immediately as we were immediately on the back foot as our opponents pressed and controlled the ball in their front half. While the conditions weren’t ideal our efficiency with the footy proved to be our Achilles heel in the quarter and ultimately in the game as we watched ourselves turn the ball over shallow in our D50 handing opportunities to our opponents which they took sending the margin out to 17 points at the break.
The break we needed to move on and reset now with the agency of the conditions to claw back territory and the deficit. A hugely contested quarter followed the huddle, every single player contributing, working through the contest lead by Beau Baldwin who defied their attention and along with Xavier Tranfa and his partner El Murada there were some promising wish signs around the contest and our ball movement began to show. Again some lapses in efficiency cost us and the frustration erupted at times which gave our opponents two energy sapping goals in red time to break some of our momentum build at the main break with the deficit out to 30 points.
While the scoreboard says one thing and the external perception remains, we hit the sheds to review. We agreed despite the aforementioned we felt a real strength in what we were doing, we needed to tidy all areas and stay trust the plan. With an extremely young side, three debutants amongst them some would say you could be forgiven for maintaining the same or in fact allowing the land to slide. Not us, not this team not this club and definitely not here.
The third we gained some ascendency around the ball from stoppage, which in turn gave us some field position we fought hard to hit the scoreboard. Will Mead was playing his role and hit the scoreboard with a well-deserved goal to spark some momentum which many would have thought was fully extinguished when yet again another red time goal to our opponents forced the margin to 39 points.
As I mentioned the signs had been building for much of the game and we felt if we could string a couple of goals in a row we could get on a roll. Josh Shute who had been ROC SOLID all game lifted and along with Jack Michalanney we held our opponents entries, regained some flow in ball movement and our efficiency with the ball provided the momentum we needed, we went on to kick 4 straight goals ending the game 24 points behind.
Perception can be a challenge to a young emerging side, yet we look to next week knowing we have seen this “story before” and we all know what the final outcome was in the history books of our great club.
Final Score : ROCFC 8.5.53 defeated by Pt Districts 11.11.77
Goal Kickers : F. Wakelin 2, J. Boxer 1, T. De Matteis 1, J. Michalanney 1, J. Piro 1, M. Daw 1, W. Mead
Best Players: B. Baldwin, X. Tranfa, W. Mead, J. Michalanney, J. Shute
See you at the footy.
Bootsy
A Grade & Club Coach
B Grade Match Report: Round 12 v Pt Districts
This week we headed to Port District for one of the toughest road trips in football, taking on a side that has been a strong Division 1 contender for many years. We knew the challenge ahead, and after a solid week on the training track, the group was excited to embrace the opportunity.
Our opening quarter was arguably our best of the day. Despite losing two players to injury early, the group adapted brilliantly, regrouping on the run and putting Port District under plenty of pressure. We moved the ball well in difficult conditions and, at the first break, trailed by just four points. It was a terrific effort and showed the belief this young side has in its ability to compete.
The second quarter turned into a real arm wrestle after torrential rain made conditions extremely tough. Ground-ball contests became even more important, and while we found it difficult to gain clean possession at times, the boys never stopped competing. Their effort and determination ensured we were still well in the contest, trailing by just 18 points at half-time.
Unfortunately, the third quarter proved costly. We made a few uncharacteristic turnovers, which allowed our opposition to build momentum. The pressure lifted another level, and although our players continued to battle hard, we weren't able to use the ball as cleanly in the wet conditions. We went into the final break 52 points behind.
The message at three-quarter time was simple: forget the previous quarter, compete hard, and show the character that has become a trademark of this group. By then we were down to no interchange players, but our young side refused to give in. They continued to fight, contest every ball, and never allowed Port District to think the game was over. The resilience and spirit they displayed in those circumstances was something everyone involved with the club can be proud of.
While the scoreboard wasn't the result we were after, there were plenty of positives to take away. Facing one of the competition's benchmark teams showed us exactly where we are and, more importantly, where we are capable of getting to. This young group continues to learn, grow, and gain valuable experience every week. It was also our first away loss of the season, and while disappointing, it won't define us.
Our focus now shifts to this week's home game. We know it's an important match, and we'll take plenty of confidence into it. We have shown throughout the season what this group is capable of, and we're determined to respond strongly. One tough quarter won't define our season—our resilience, work ethic, and commitment to improving every week will.
Final Scores: ROCS 3:2 (20) defeated by Port District 12:16 (88)
Best Players: S. Hearn, H. Maxwell, T. Bradford, S. Greenslade, J. Smith
Goal Kickers: D. Huppatz 2 , T. Bradford 1
Jamie Thomas
B Grade Coach
C Grade Match Report: Round 12 v Pt Districts
Round 13 took us down to Largs Bay where would come up against Port Districts. Not quite the scenic view of the beach but close enough that you could smell it. According to Zac Aufderheide it smelt like shit, to be fair he wasn’t wrong either. This game was important for a number of reasons, 2nd vs 3rd on the ladder and the winner claims second spot. And it was the coach’s 100th game for the club, everyone loves a victory on their milestone game. Going into the game with a huge amount of momentum, a win against Port Districts would really set us up for the next month against some quality opposition.
The conditions weren’t ideal. No rain but easily a ten goal breeze heading towards one end of the ground. We knew defending that would be a tough ask. Our first half was quite nearly perfection. We kept our game simple and played to the conditions. We were ruthless on our opponents, and our pressure rating would make any AFL team scared to face the mighty C grade. We came away with a 15 point lead heading into the main break. We knew we had to stay mentally sharp and disciplined for the second half. We were well aware that Port Districts would back strong and put damage on the scoreboard if we’re even 5% off our game.
Unfortunately in the second half we were 5% off. Districts rallied to a 4 goal to 1 behind 3rd quarter. We had the strong wind behind us for the last quarter, and we needed to take advantage of it. We managed to get in front midway through the last quarter however we couldn’t hang on. Giving away multiple 25m penalties and a lack of game awareness allowed our opponents to hit the lead late. Although we lost the game, I couldn’t be prouder of how the team showed up. They never gave up and competed hard all day. This game produced a lot of positives and shows that we can hang with the best.
Amer Elhosni was ‘Best on Ground’. With a tackle count at 10 thanks to our statistician Tim Draper. Amer set the standard early on and maintained a high pressure game throughout.
Bradley Warren has come into the side replacing Fabian Di Lulio at the Fullback position. Let’s be real, playing fullback is not a desirable position, However, Brad’s attitude towards the role was fantastic and he shut down his opponents all day.
Sam Wakelin came into the side as well. Originally lining up to play a forward pocket role however was swung into the ruck early on after Twiggsy copped a nasty corky. Sam’s efforts in the ruck were fantastic and took some really nice, contested grabs.
Lewis Matsis keeps on keeping on. Lewie provided a lot of drive through the midfield and his tackling pressure was elite.
Daniel Leonard had another really good game in defence. Incredibly solid in the contest and provided a lot of run a carry, took some really nice, contested grabs throughout the game especially in the last quarter when the game was on the line.
On to the next challenge, we are back at the home of football where we will take on Glenunga who are far from easy beats. With injuries mounting and people going away for some reason the clubs depth charts will be tested. However, I believe in the ‘next man up approach’ and I’m sure the next man will serve the team well.
Final Scores: ROCFC: 7.6.48 defeated by Port Districts: 8.5.53
Goal Kickers: Dylan Matthews 2, Coach 1, Tom Fotheringham 1, Thomas Matsis 1, James McGuinnness 1, Jack Platten 1
Best Players: Amer Elhosni, Brad Warren, Sam Wakelin, Lewis Matsis, Daniel Leonard
Choo Choo
Nick Karagich
C Grade Coach
D Grade Match Report: Round 12 v Henley
Rocs D-grade hosting Henley Sharks with cold & drizzly conditions greeting both teams. Rocs Academy have been out of sorts lately with the constant changes to the squad starting to have a huge impact on our performances each week. Unfortunately a massive 14 changes to our team this round, but we managed to round up 23 teammates to take up the challenge.
The first stanza produced some excellent team play from both sides, with Rocs holding the momentum around the ground but wasted some forward entries and Henley moved the ball with ruthless efficiency to score repeatedly on the rebound. Rocs were creating some fluent passages of play but could not find any teammate deep in the forward arc . The first quarter ended with Rocs in possession, but Henley held the lead on the scoreboard.
1/4 time scores Rocs 1-2 (8) vs Henley 2-4 (16)
The second quarter produced another frustrating effort from the Red & Blacks.
Controlling general play but breaking down across half forward with Henley having better ball control repelling many attacking opportunities. Rocs were again working together with better teamwork but could not convert our momentum on the scoreboard. Torrential rain soon engulfed the ground, and any clean teamwork became extremely harder in the conditions. Both teams battled with the slippery ball, but Henley managed to boot a couple of late goals which proved crucial to the outcome of the game.
1/2 time scores Rocs 2-7 (19) vs Henley 4-5 (29)
The second half was controlled by Henley as they found another level of intensity and linked together far better than Rocs were able to produce in the sloppy wet conditions. Rocs again failed to apply scoreboard pressure and were held goalless during the second half.
Final Score: ROCFC 2-11 (23) defeated by Henley 6-10 (46)
Goal Kickers: L. Tripodi 1, C. O'Malley 1.
Best Players: L. Tripodi (50 games) , S. Tagg, L. Saccone, M. Arslan, J. Avlonitis, C. Radolovic-Tripodi.
Best team men- J. Munchenburg, B. Davies.
Many thanks to our 5 extras this week who pulled on the Rocs guernsey to help out the team - former Rocs Superstar’s Charlie (Sticks) O'Malley, Matty (Zampa) Zamparelli and Paul (Cheesey) Arnfield were joined by very mature age debutantes Matt Bowman and Paul White, they all played well and impacted the game in a positive way. Thanks fellas , great effort.
Steve Edwards
D Grade Coach
E Grade Match Report: Round 12 v Lockleys
Another great day for the E grade. The ENTERTAINMENT was on show today. Firstly lots of excitement around Richard (Jock) Akkermans and Frank Renfry joining the team.
Jock aged 65 and Frank 59 both debut for us. Both played in the famous ‘86 premiership Frank also ‘91. Two wonderful players, fantastic club men, and great blokes.
Jock being the oldest player ever for the club to don the guernsey, Frank finally playing his 100th game for the club.
Both showed their qualities shown in the 80s , Frank kicking the first of the game and Jock playing some solid football. It was a pleasure and privilege to have them part of the team.
Another big thank you to three Roccers who answered the call. A bit shy on numbers this week Angus Honner, Jeremy O’Leary, and Adam Ritcher answered the call. With no hesitation they registered Thursday and were ready to go. Excellent performance by all three with an invitation to join us.
To the match, two points on the line we started well. Lockleys were a good outfit but lead by Tim Lewis we were too good. The captain lead from the front with strong tackling and plenty of great football. Henry Dawson again proved his value again and was superb. Liam Holland was a big presence for us up forward with a lazy 4 and John Harrison only got better as the game progressed. Josh Massie showed what a quality mid he is for us and was productive.
Overall an excellent performance by all, special mention to Alex Pietrobon and J-Mac for excellent games.
Well done boys we now sit 2 games clear on top of the ladder with a lot more to come.
Finals Scores: ROCFC 11-11-77 def LOCKLEYS 4-2-26
Best Players: Tim Lewis ,Henry Dawson ,Liam Holland ,Josh Massie ,John Harrison
Goal Kickers: Liam Holland 4 , Michael Boffa 2 , Justine McInerny 2 , Daniel Baillie ,Sam Moten ,Frank Renfry all singles.
Tony Franzon
E Grade Coach
LOSA - Round 12
Loreto OS 06 04 (40) defeated Seaton Ramblers 0 3 (3)
Goal Scorers: Sophie Haines 3, Lilli Anderson 1, Jacinta Beltrame 1, Hannah Osborn 1
Best Players: Hannah Osborn, Phoebe Smith, Abbie Deegan, Lucy Franzon, Christina Fawns
