Under 11 - 3

FJFC U-11 Blue 11.10 (76) d Banyule 2.2 (14)

School holidays had started. A late night and some fish and chips had already been consumed. And then one game of footy before a week off. Sounds like fun. Sounds like you any footballer could go for broke, even if Alfred Crescent was sticky with mud, and dotted with gooey puddles of water. Nice. So it does rain in Melbourne after all. The Sydneysiders will be happy.

And then the game started, with the Roys picking up where they left off from last week. The co-operation and cohesion was there. So too was the goal-kicking: Atticus kicked the first goal from a set shot, and then Charlie took a wonderful low-down slips catch (wrong season Charlie!) and kicked another. And then Max marked to slot the third of the quarter. And while all this was going on, there was that same commitment across the ground: Jesse was running free, Adam was on the burst and Elia was the best big bloke on the ground.

The truth was that Banyule was having a tough season. But they were working hard, and even if they trailed by 25 points at quarter time, they kept giving their best.

The Roys, however, fancied themselves despite having only a two-boy bench. (Holidays are a bit like that.) Then again, the Roys started the second quarter in a bit of a daze, and Banyule jumped out of the blocks to kick their first goal. The Roys pottered and meandered, although Digby flung himself in to the contest with some strong tackling, Martin was head-down hard and fast, and Max managed his second goal. But Banyule had fought hard to prevent the game getting away from them by half-time.

The Roy’s continued pressure ensured that the dam wall broke soon after a joyous Banyule scored their second goal. Maybe the Roys’ increased their concentration. But Nick B started to win the contested ball and an Atticus pass hit Fraser on the chest, who goalled. Dave grabbed the ball and sent it long to the square where Lewis was lurking to kick another. Then Elia, who had been dominating the ruck contests, picked up a loose ball, turned and sent the ball in to the square where Fraser ran on to it for another goal. Charlie’s smothers and shepherding helped seal the Roys’ forward-line dominance during the quarter and Max’s gentle kick off the ground made it the Roys’ fourth for the quarter.

The last term began with the Roys in top gear. Noah was finding his feet in the midfield and flying for marks. Patrick was burrowing in to the bottom of packs and giving the Roys some rebound from half-back and Walt completed the Roys’ defensive wall.

Max kicked his fourth in a remarkable effort that will have the St Kilda scouts talking, and Adam, the dynamo, burst clear and kicked on his left for the Roys’ tenth. As Banyule realised the game was gone, Nick N mounted a long chase and tackle that earned him an exemplary free. Moments later he was on the receiving end of a Fraser handball and he unloaded to the goal square where Will was waiting to kick the Roys’ 11th and final goal of the match.

And then it was suddenly back to the holidays: chips all round and maybe a fizzy drink on the way home.

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