Under 12-1 2009

Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Game 8 Game 9 Game 10 Game 11 Game 12 Game 13 Game 14 Game 15

Game 6

Fitzroy 0.4 1.4 3.8 5.8 38

Greythorn 0.0 6.5 7.6 8.6 54

The under 12 Gold's hosted last year's premiers from the Browns, Greythorn, at Kevin Bartlett "Complex" (a psychological reference to pathological selfishness?). Robbie was captain for the day, there was a gentle breeze from the north, and Fitzroy were kicking to the southern end.

From the start the ball was rooted in the Fitzroy attacking zone. Aidan delivered to Otis resulting in a rushed behind. From the kickout the ball came to Noah who registered a behind. Jim received a free kick for a slinging tackle and found Gabe who registered a behind. Gabe followed up with another behind, after a great run and bounce. On the rare occasions that the ball did stray into the defensive zone Eddie and Robbie were impenetrable at half back. With the benefit of hindsight the failure to register a goal from so many opportunities in this quarter was wasteful.

Noah was thrown into the ruck in the second quarter. Greythorn were clearly stung after the first quarter and came out with renewed resolve. Before Fitzroy knew what had hit them Greythorn had registered 3 goals and 2 behinds. Harris prevented another Greythorn goal with a mark on the last line. George replaced a bruised Harry J. in the following division, but in the meantime Greythorn had registered another goal. Then a beautiful chain of passes through Harris, Aidan, George, Louis, and Sapphire found Otis, who goaled. However this offered only temporary respite as Greythorn finished the quarter with another 2 goals and 3 behinds. Having major ballwinners, Chas and Lucien, both warming the bench in this quarter had been costly.

A failure to man up in the defensive zone delivered Greythorn yet another goal early in the third quarter. But the tide was turning and Fitzroy started to reassert itself. Gus delivered to Gabe whose pass was picked up and kicked by Louis to Noah who marked and converted. Noah followed up with a snapped behind. From the kick in Gus won the ball and kicked to Ben, who marked and kicked a behind. Harry H. was thriving in his roving role, Andrej was generating great drive as ruck rover, and Noah was relishing being back in the forward line. A dangerous forward move by Greythorn was repulsed by Aidan in the goal square. Ben registered a behind on the end of a line of passes from Andrej and Noah, then another behind came off hands from a free kick to Louis. From a through in Gus gathered and kicked to the hot spot where Noah dropped the ball, but then buttered up and goaled.

The breeze had really dropped in the last quarter giving Fitzroy hope that the 4 goal gap could be bridged. These hopes were somewhat dashed when Greythorn scored a goal from a 40 metre kick because there were no Fitzroy defenders on the goal line. Andrej went for the first of a couple of great runs and bounces along the wing, laying off just as the umpire was raising his whistle to his lips. Gus then marked and goaled, a beneficiary of a chain of passes from Gabe, Aidan, Noah and Ben. The Fitzroy tackling in this quarter was a revelation. Every time Greythorn got the ball they knew they would be hammered. Fitzroy had the ball bottled up in their forward zone and were dictating terms, resulting in another goal, this time to Aidan from a Noah supply.

Despite having won 3 quarters, when the siren sounded it was a bridge too far for the 'Roy boys.

Next week we meet another formidable opponent, St Mary's, out at Woop Woop. Go 'Roys!

"Chicken Smallhorn" (the ghost of Fitzroy past)