Coaches Report - R4 & 'Fabes' nominated SAAFL Player of the week
Solid results for the A's and the C's home by a point against Walkerville
A Grade Report - R4
This was a pretty solid result albeit with its share of frustration. From our last match Anthony Medhurst, Matthew Dawes and Chris Pahl all missed this week due to injury and we had a couple playing who were pretty sore. We also lost some players during the game so we were pretty banged up. Walkerville is a difficult place to play with its tight confines resulting in a lot of contested footy in close.
We were good early but didn't finish well then really poor in the second quarter where we led at half time by 4 points but could've easily been behind. In the second half we fought solidly and finished with a strong last quarter to record a convincing win and extend our unbeaten run to four games.
Kieran Holland, Ben Birch, Peter Baccanello, Will O'Malley, Russell Brooks, Ryan Holm and Tom Bowler formed a very effective backline. Scott Gilbert is a great competitor, Sam Bridge marked really strongly and it was great to have Matt Footner back whist Jack Nelligan won plenty of the ball.
This week against SPOC is a massive game where we hope to see and hear a vocal crowd!
Tim Hart
A Grade Coach
B Grade Report - R4
In wet conditions we faced the undefeated Walkerville side and we were very competitive, however we are still searching for our second win as we went down by 20 points. I was extremely pleased with our players endeavour and commitment to the ball and contest and we were matching the more experienced Walkerville side for most of the first half. Again we had a lapse in concentration towards the end of the second quarter and we went from tied scores at the 20 minute mark of the second quarter to be 12 points down at the main break.
The third quarter saw little reward for effort as Walkerville stretched the lead to 25 points at three quarter time. I was very impressed with our last quarter effort as Walkerville kicked the first two goals and we could have thrown the towel in, but we threw caution into the wind and tried to play on at every opportunity and we were able to gain some creditibility back on the scoreboard and give ourselves some much needed confidence that we can match it with the one of the best teams in the competition. We kicked 4 unanswered goals and still had a sneaky chance to win the game with 7 minutes to go but we left our run too late.
Our best player today was Ollie Bowler who from the wing shows a great deal of courage and puts his body on the line in each contest. Tom Birch, coming back from injury through the reserves, was a great target in the forward line and kicked three goals. Young Daniel Gilbert for his first run in the reserves this year tried hard all day from his wing. Jeremy O'Leary used his explosive pace around the ground and kicked 2 goals and Alex McKenzie in ruck started well and is starting to find the ball around the ground more which is encouraging.
One win from the first 4 games is not ideal, but we are working hard to get our next win and the lads are improving in playing team footy. Hopefully our efforts can be rewarded next week against St. Peters OC.
Glen Malkin
B Grade Coach
C Grade Report - R4
What a cliffhanger Round 4 vs Walkerville turned out to be. In conditions that saw half the game played in sprinkling rain the c grade team turned in a rousing comeback in the dying minutes to win by the closest of margins. Neither side led by more than two kicks in a bruising and heavy hitting game. The team started well Tommy Deegan marking strongly at full forward and kicking truly from a difficult angle, Walkerville rallied and ran well as a team to kick back into the lead and had lots of players willing to run hard to create options all over the ground. Our boys had to play catch up footy from then on and perseverance and some fine defending from Brendon Edson and Craig Fabbian allowed us to attack and gain control.
Rain fell during the second and third terms as the ball became very difficult to gain and keep possession of. Our boys didn’t handle things well in the rain, overusing the handball particularly, and if not for Vic Pisanello and Paul Bannister striving hard on the ball we would not have led by two goals at three quarter time.
With two of ROCS key defenders, Brendon Edson and Paul Whitford off injured in the last quarter Walkerville started with a bang in the first two minutes of the final term scoring back to back goals to see them draw level for the first time since early in the game. The ROCS boys then regrouped and displayed some fantastic hard running in the wet, driving the ball long and direct to use the small ground well. With the scores level late in the term great desperation was shown by Jesse Abfalter's hard run back into defence to regain possession for the ROCS and Paul Bannisters crucial smother in the dying minutes typified his tough approach. As the ROCS tried desperately to move the ball forward with a minute remaining Sam “Fos” Newman marked about 45m out and lined up. His kick, although off-line, made the distance giving the ROCS a crucial 1 point lead. With time slipping away we were able to hold on with the the support of the large crowd spurring us on to win.
Big men Nick Rendell and Nick Bartold played great games in the ruck to help us over the line. Dan Baille worked tirelessly on the ball along with Tim Felice, while Paul “Cheese” Arnfield's move into the centre square in the last quarter was crucial as he gathered a mountain of possessions and won plenty of hard balls.
Clashes with sides also in the top 3 at this early stage of the season await us in the next two weeks and our squad has to be ready for the challenge. While winning our first three games is pleasing we have to be sure that we don’t get ahead of ourselves and keep working hard.
Craig 'Fabes' Fabbian has been nominated this week by the SAAFL West End Lucky Player of the week - click on the link in red above and vote for 'Fabes' (votes close Monday 9th May 9am)
After a great effort from you all in helping Paul 'Cheesy' Arnfield win the cans, I'm sure you can do it again for Fabes.
Steve Edwards
C Grade Coach
